OUTBACK LIFE
The Hart of Hodgson country
In true bush-battler style, the Hart family has 'made a go of it' on remote Northern Territory Hodgson River Station for close to 30 years, building it up virtually from scratch.
Story and photos John Denman
Ted Hart leans his elbows on the lunch table in the Hodgson River homestead, and looks out through the bougainvillea outside the verandah. An orphan kangaroo - adopted by his daughter, Sonya - sits near the table like a faithful dog, as Ted reflects on the years that have passed since he and his wife Elizabeth came to Hodgson River Station in the Northern Territory.
When they arrived in 1973, there was no existing homestead on the
property so the Harts lived for many years in a 12 by 20-foot shed, to which
Ted added sections over time. The present Hodgson River homestead is the result.
From the very beginning, the Hart family have enjoyed a great friendship with
the Aboriginal people of nearby Hodgson Downs Station. Many of them have worked
for, and lived with, the Harts on Hodgson River over the years. 
Full story Issue 33 Feb/Mar 2004
