LUCKY COUNTRY: AB Adam Carter (right) struck it lucky when he won a part on the ABC series Outback House.

Photo: ABC publicity

AB wins a place on new ABC program

By LCDR Antony Underwood

Adam Carter’s ship has come in. As an AB, he was given special dispensation to participate in a unique social experiment, the ABC’s eight-part television series, Outback House.

The first part of the series was due to air on Sunday, June 12, as this edition of Navy News went to press. And AB Carter’s promotion to Leading Seaman was due on June 15.

Since participating in the experiment, he’s revised his view of how our forefathers found life in the outback, made lifelong friends outside the Navy family, and acquired a taste for the liquid currency of the early colony.

Outback House is probably as close as the ABC will come to reality television.

Back to reality for outback Able Seaman

DUTY CALLS: AB Adam Carter back on deck after his TV stint.

Photo: LA (PHOT) Owen King RN

But rather than being live-to-air, the series compresses about 1,200 hours of vision into eight one-hour episodes.

It revolves around re-creation of a 19th century grazing property, owned by a squatter and his wife, and all of the people who work on their selection.

The series aims to capture the experience of participants in the hardship and real-life drama of living and operating the property with the equipment and in the conditions of the time.

AB Carter, 32, single, originally of Glen Waverley (Vic) was a qualified plumber when he joined the Navy in mid-2001. He’s served in Cairns for two years in patrol boats - in HMAS Whyalla, for three months in the hydrographic ship, HMAS Leeuwin, and more recently working as a ship’s diver, boarding party member and fitness leader in the LPA, HMAS Manoora.

He landed the part in Outback House after being alerted to the venture by a friend.

“I had a look at a website and filled out a questionnaire about this time last year,” AB Carter said.

“I was interviewed by the Executive Producer, Ivo Burrum, and was selected after a final interview with him and a psychologist.” At that stage, AB Carter was one of 16 applicants chosen to participate from a field of 5,000. The task of negotiating more than 12 weeks off duty to participate was made easier by the fact that Manoora was in refit.

“I must be doing something right,” he said. “I approached the CO, CMDR Rourke, and seeing we were in refit, he gave me time off. I took all my accrued leave and leave without pay for the remainder of the time I needed.”

The participants and production crew moved to Oxley Downs, six hours drive from Sydney to the property with 12 buildings, a dilapidated garden, horses, chickens, geese, a cow and 1.300 merino sheep.

“When we first went in it was beautiful and green but it didn’t last long. The climate was quite extreme,” AB Carter said.

“I found out that the work of a station hand involves just about all aspects of hard work – mustering sheep, gathering wood and water, doing running repairs on houses and buildings.

“I was really a jack-of-all-trades but my plumbing background helped me.”

And the worst aspect? “Having to slaughter sheep so we had meat,” he said.

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