Harry's royal muster
By Charlie Hamilton
November 27, 2003
The world's royal-watching media gathered in the Queensland outback today to watch Britain's most celebrated jackaroo bringing in a herd.
Prince Harry, who has been in Australia for three months as part of a year off from study, looked at home in the saddle as he and five other cattle hands mustered bulls around Tooloombilla Station, near Roma in southern Queensland.
The 19-year-old, dressed in an open-neck blue shirt, jeans and brown Akubra hat, looked relaxed as he guided a herd of 30 short horn and short horn charolais cattle around part of the 16,000 property.
He rode his chestnut-coloured horse, Guardsman, alongside the steers as they were brought in from the outer reaches of the property, and at one stage galloped ahead to open the cattle pen.
He laughed and joked with the other station workers before dismounting and strolling over to a fence post where he posed for photographers.
Prince Harry has been working as a jackaroo during his stay; learning how to handle cattle, repair damaged fencing and other general farm maintenance.
"I have had a great time working out here, meeting people and learning a bit about how to be a jackaroo, and of course the rugby was absolutely fantastic," Prince Harry said.
"It's a great country."
The mid-morning temperature soared to about 30 degrees but this did not appear to bother the young prince.
His normal working day at the station begins about 7.30am (AEST) and ends about 6pm with a two-hour lunch break when the Australian heat is at its most fierce.
Tooloombilla Station is owned by Annie and Noel Hill.
Mrs Hill was a long-time friend of Harry's late mother Princess Diana, while Mr Hill is a son of millionaire polo star Sinclair Hill, who is close to Harry's father, Prince Charles.
Referring to Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell's comments earlier this week about a meeting between himself and Prince Harry, a Palace spokeswoman said: "There are no plans for a meeting to take place while Harry is in Australia.
"If anything was to take place it would involve both he (sic) and William."
Asked about Harry's feelings towards Burrell, the spokeswoman reiterated the sentiments expressed in a joint statement by the princes following publication of the former butler's reveal-all book about Diana.
The young men said in the statement they could not believe someone who was entrusted with so much "could abuse his position in such a cold and overt betrayal".
Prince Harry will remain in Australia for the next few weeks but will return to the UK to spend Christmas with his family.
- AAP