My message to older famers doing it tough is: Stay focused and mindful for out of adversity comes opportunity. In times of adversity I think of the Australian Light Horseman at Beersheba no water or feed for there horses and a long charge across open ground against a formidable enemy in trenches with machine guns and artillery, they were mainly farmers just like you, they challenged impossible odds and triumphed, you can do the same, you are not alone. Robert Floyd
Flannelettes against Ageism
The Runway at a Fashion Parade called SPUNK included models from the City of Wangaratta - on the cat walk for the first time. Models included 82 yo Cr Ken Clarke OAM – Mayor of Wangaratta, Community Leader Robert Floyd and Health Consumer Representative Ray Newland. The models wore flanelette shirts as a show of support for older farmers going through tough times on the land. Ken Clarke was interviewed for print and radio and an article in the Wangaratta Chronicle was entitled Mayor will don flannelette to combat ageism and Fashionable Mayor is looking the part. Robert was interviewed for the Border Mail for an article entitled The Bush Celebrating their Age - and see photo below right by Mark Jesser.
Messages to older farmers
Ken and Robert were invited to share their messages to older farmers going through tough times on the land - Australian farmers were experiencing drought at the time of the Fashion Parade. Here are their messages about ageism and their messages to older farmers:
Ken Clarke: The Fashion Parade is about challenging ageism in a fun way. It is about saying older people still got it – we are still beautiful in our own way. We need more respect for older people – and we also need to have more fun. The Fashion Parade invites us all to rethink our attitudes to ageing and older people. We have been asked to think about our catwalk attitude – and how it can be used as a protective factor against ageism – so that we don’t let other people’s attitudes get us down. I might be 82 by there is nothing wrong with my brain. I do interesting things and carry on to get older people to be like me to live their lives – to get involved with life – to just do it. I want to encourage older people to be part of the fun. My message to older farmers is to reach out. Get yourself and meet other people. Make friends and have fun. Ring your friends. That contact is so important. There are so many wonderful things you can do.
Robert Floyd: My message to older famers doing it tough is: Stay focused and mindful for out of adversity comes opportunity. In times of adversity I think of the Australian Light Horseman at Beersheba no water or feed for there horses and a long charge across open ground against a formidable enemy in trenches with machine guns and artillery, they were mainly farmers just like you, they challenged impossible odds and triumphed, you can do the same, you are not alone.
Gallery
Thank you to photographer Julian Meehan for these beautiful photographs of the Bush Blokes at a Fashion Parade called SPUNK. Please also check out the film below.
Film
We wanted to make a film from this runway to help ensure the message of support to older farmers is spread far and wide. Thank you to film maker Chris Franklin for the Bush Blokes film and to Julian Meehan for the photographs.
Support services
There are loads of great support services out there to support you if you are going through tough times. Some of them include:
- beyondblue - 24 hour support line on 1300 22 4636
- lifeline - crisis support, suicide prevention on 13 11 14
- Mens line - a 24 hour support line for men on 1300 78 99 78
Contact us
If you want more information contact us:
- Dr Catherine Barrett 0429 582 237 or email: [email protected]
- Maria Berry on 0409 038 815
