We are massive fans of Macca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Sunday morning show provides a fantastic journey around Australia and the world to hear stories and insights from real people that you won’t hear in the mass media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are five nuggets that we’ve dug out from the goldmine that is Macca’s Australia All Over show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 22, we heard the story of a 10 year old boy called Lawson, from the persepctive of a first responder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first responder who rang was Mark, a paramedic. He had been called out in an ambulance to a rural property at Mcdouall Peak Station in remote South Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McDouall Peak is known for its arid desert landscape and historic links to explorer John McDouall Stuart. The area is known for its harsh conditions, hardy desert vegetation, and remains part of South Australia\u2019s vast, sparsely populated interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark related that a 10-year-old boy named Lawson and his dad, a farmer, went out on motorbikes to build some fencing on the station. Lawson’s dad told the boy that he was just going to check some fencing a few kilometres away and then set off on his motorbike down the fenceline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He didn’t come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a while, Lawson got on his motorbike to go and look for him, but couldn’t find him. So he got his mum to drive over in the car and together they searched and found him. The dad was very badly injured having crashed on his bike at speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the time emergency crews arrived, Lawson had already spent more than an hour talking with medical staff and waiting for help to reach them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark the paramedic related that on arrival on the main road, he encountered young Lawson, who calmly then got in a ute and drove ahead of the ambulance for several kilometres to guide the medics to where his dad was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark was blown away with the maturity and initiative of Lawson. He had seen many unusual situations in his job but this was a major outlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It turned out Lawson’s father had broken a leg, hip and collarbone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark said Lawson carried medical gear; helped responders where needed; and stayed composed through the entire rescue until his father was flown out by the RFDS for treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazingly, a neighbour who knew young Lawson was listening to Macca, and rang Lawson’s family to tell him about the call on the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon after, Lawson rang in and told Macca all about what happened first-hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe was going like 90 or 100 or something,\u201d Lawson told Macca, when recounting his father’s crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At one point, Macca asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA helicopter pilot,\u201d Lawson replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It sounded less like a dream and more like a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Out on stations like McDouall Peak, childhood looks different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Distances are measured in hours, not suburbs. Fence lines run for kilometres. If something goes wrong, help is rarely close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawson studies through the Port Augusta School of the Air, originally built around two-way radio lessons for children living in isolated parts of the country. These days, classes are mostly online, but the principle is still the same \u2014 students learning from station houses and remote properties hundreds of kilometres apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kids in those areas tend to grow up fast and early. They learn vehicles young, help with fencing and stock work, and get used to solving problems without immediate backup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a video about Clair, who tells a story remarkably similar to that of Lawson, giving us a glimpse of the world they inhabit \u2014 a long way from city life, and built around a different kind of independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n