The 1997 Australian Tourism Awards -
Outstanding Contribution by an
Individual.The long reach of R.M. Williams
For generations of Australians, R.M. Williams has been as synonymous with the bush as damper, billy tea and the elastic-sided boots that bear his name.
But Reginald Murray Williams - the famous bushman-horseman who founded the world-renowned Australian outfitters - has also played an integral part in the development of Australian tourism, most notably through his enthusiastic support and involvement in the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach, Queensland.
Williams's rags-to-riches story has become part of Australian folk- lore. The son of a struggling stockman - his first job was as head camel boy for William Wade's expedition to Central Australia - Williams went on to found his leather goods and bush stockist business in 1934, after selling a handmade pack saddle to Sir Sidney Kid- man for five pounds.
He mined gold at Tennant Creek, worked as a stockman, published poetry, bred horses and led the life of a socialite, traveling the world. But in his 1984 autobiography, Beneath Whose Hand, Williams makes it clear he always preferred the simple bush life. He eventually moved back to the land and today resides on a property outside Toowoomba.
It was from here that his involvement with the Australian Stock- man's Hall of Fame began, a project which has remained close to his heart.
In his book, Williams tells how one of his neighbours, David Briggs, had visited the American Stockman's Hall of Fame - also known as the Cowboy Hall of Fame - and mentioned the concept to outback artist Hugh Sawrey.
In 1974, Sawrey enlisted the help of Williams and others in establishing a local version to honour Australian pioneers. Williams became a founding director, helping to raise publicity and government interest in the project, even making his own plane and pilot available with which to check out possible sites for the development.
Williams envisaged the hall as a "cathedral [in which] to enshrine the memories of the unsung among the great stockmen of the nation" but, by 1980, he was concerned things were not moving fast enough. He decided that a "very spectacular move would have to be made to bring the project to the notice of the Australian public".
So it was that, at 72, Williams packed up his goods, left his horse stud and garden and set out for the selected site at Longreach, where he camped throughout winter and summer while building a traditional cottage, using locally quarried sandstone and enlisting local labour where he could. This fired the public imagination. In 1982, the Queensland Government granted $500,000 to the project. Two years later, the Australian Bicentennial Authority took it under its wing, providing $6 million.
Finally, in 1988, the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame was officially opened by the Queen. Since then, more than 700,000 visitors have travelled to Longreach to visit the hall.
To encourage tourists to stay longer,
new attractions in Longreach and
nearby towns have been opened,
including the Australian Workers
Heritage Centre at Barcaldine and the
Longreach Powerhouse Museum. The
new Waltzing Matilda Museum at
Winton, north-west of Longreach, will
open next Easter during a week of
celebrations planned to commemorate
the hall's 10th anniversary.Meanwhile, Queensland Rail introduced a themed tourist train from Brisbane to Longreach, called The Spirit of the Outback, and Qantas has upped its flights to eight a week. The Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation sees the hall as a linchpin for outback tourism and a vital link between Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef.
Jim Cuming, a Brisbane-based consultant for the Hall of Fame, says its opening has been the catalyst for the local tourism industry, which generates about $58 million a year. Much of the credit, he believes, goes to Williams. But he says the latter's influence on tourism and the way Australians view themselves and their environment stretches way beyond the hall.
Through his clothing business, Williams has helped forge a strong image of the bush that tourists identify as being uniquely Australian. His sturdy riding boots, moleskins, oilskins and leather goods make popular souvenirs for both overseas visitors and a new generation of urban Australians.
Williams, who turns 90 next May, keeps close links with the hall as a director and member of the executive committee. Cuming believes there is no doubt that his ongoing association still has a strong influence on attracting attention and funds to the site.
He refers to a signed, limited-edition book, This Beloved Land, containing paintings by Adelaide artist Rosemary Woodford Ganf and Australian bush poetry chosen by R.M. Williams, which was produced to raise funds for a heritage garden at the hall. AII 500 copies have sold out at $1000 a piece. But if they hadn't, nobody would have been surprised to see Williams turn up with his swag to turn the sod himself.
By Carolyn Collins
THE AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE OCTOBER 4 - 5 1997