NATMAP AT RABBIT FLAT

Operating from remote airstrips both the Natmap Aerodist and Laser field parties were used to camping in the “middle of nowhere”. An oasis, however, was Rabbit Flat. Bruce Farrands, and his French wife Jacqueline, (they met whilst working on a “local” cattle station Mongrel Downs) built up Rabbit Flat to be a “tent city” offering accommodation to travellers on the long-haul between Alice Springs and Halls Creek. With individual, tented sleeping quarters, and all the amenities (including cold beer of course) the speciality was Jacqueline’s French cooking! French cooking, Australian wine and a Dingo orchestra was the title of an article in an early 1970s airline In-flight Magazine, while in 1978 the Women's Weekly published this article on Rabbit Flat.

In 1971, a new Natmapper recently arrived from Turkey, was part of the Aerodist party at Rabbit Flat. A culture shock if ever there was one! He camped there again when the Laser party operated from the airstrip in 1973. Our Turk adopted Rabbit Flat as his Australian birth place and spiritual home and returned after an absence of over 30 years. Sadly Rabbit Flat was in decline as the Farrands were considering retirement (stay on but shut the door to travellers) however, Bruce and Jacqueline again made him welcome.

The many Natmappers who stayed, or passed through Rabbit Flat in the 70s, thank Bruce and Jacqueline for their hospitality and wish them well in their retirement.

Bruce wrote a letter in July 2012 which was posted to all those with whom he still had contact. At the time of writing this letter, retirement for the Farrands was still some way off but the letter contained Bruce's concise history of Rabbit Flat. For completeness, an electronic version is now available here (for clarity Bruce mentions National Mapping Aero Disc parties which is a typo as it should have been Aerodist parties).

Paul Wise, 2013.

Photos of Rabbit Flat from its earliest days are courtesy Carl McMaster, Paul Wise, Dave Abreu and Oz Ertok.

Bruce Farrands original truck at Tanami	Bruce Farrands original truck at Tanami
Rabbit Flat Store 1971	Rabbit Flat Store 1973
Rabbit Flat 1971	Rabbit Flat 1973
Rabbit Flat compound 1971	Rabbit Flat camping area “tent city” 1971
Oz in Rabbit Flat “tent city” 1971	Rabbit Flat lagoon 1971
Jacqueline’s “vegie patch” 1971	Laser party camping at Rabbit Flat 1973
Laser party camping at Rabbit Flat 1973	Earth-works at Rabbit Flat 1973
Rabbit Flat lagoon 1973	Farrands twins, 1977
(L-R front) Oz & Jacqueline	(L-R) Pat O’Donohue (NOMAD pilot), Bruce & Jacqueline
(L-R back) Waitress, Bruce, Paul Wise, 1973	Paul Wise (back to camera), 1977
Natmap’s NOMAD landing Rabbit Flat 1977	Natmap’s NOMAD at Rabbit Flat 1977
Oz returns 2009	Oz returns 2009
Amenities block 1971	Amenities block 2009
Rabbit Flat airport 1973	Rabbit Flat airport 2009
Fuel tanks 1973	Fuel tanks 2009
Farrands family 2009	Oz & Bruce 2009
Rabbit Flat “the beautiful” 2009	Rabbit Flat “the necessary” 2009

Aerial view Rabbit Flat 1979