Richard Walker at Euroka Station - Drought Documentation Australia

Richard Walker walks with his head down through drought-stricken land with his herd of sheep visible in the background. Walker is the son of a grazier and the station manager of the Euroka Station, 50kms outside of Deniliquin, New South Wales, Australia. His paddocks are almost bare, forcing Richard into a daily routine of hand feeding his sheep and cattle. Hand feeding is used in times when ground cover is insufficient for animals to graze and human intervention is required to provide feed for livestock. This involves either trawling a ground feeder that deposits grain supplements or the loading of self-feeders. Drought is severely affecting farmers and graziers in Australia. The situation is dire for those relying on the Murray-Darling River system. This once majestic river system occupies and supports four of Australia’s several states and in places has been reduced to a mere trickle. Graziers already facing economic hardships are being forced to re-evaluate stock numbers, prompting large livestock sales throughout the country.