Convoy of Vintage Cars Drives Awareness for Farmer Mental Health

A convoy of vintage cars has completed an eight-day journey from Perth to Bullara Station, aiming to raise awareness about the mental health challenges faced by farmers in Western Australia.

The West Coast Long Drive, organised by Dan Sutherland, brought together a group of car enthusiasts who drove iconic 40 series LandCruisers through the Wheatbelt and Gascoyne regions.

A Conversation Starter

The event was designed to be a conversation starter, and exactly the attention the organisers had been hoping for. Mr Sutherland said the West Coast Long Drive follows on from a similar event held in Queensland.

“We've stopped in a lot of rural towns where there's just true Aussie battlers; the old fellas sitting around the bar, the old bar flies, farmers, pastoralists and truck drivers,” Mr Sutherland said.

“You could have a really bad day and all it takes is for someone to say mate, 'I see you, I feel you, I care about you, I respect you and we're here for you'.”

Inspiration for the Event

Mr Sutherland said his love for his vintage car drew him to a similar charity event in Queensland a few years ago. He was struggling with his own mental health at the time, and said the stories from the farmers inspired him to bring the charity event to Western Australia.

“Just from the outside looking in, I've got a lot of compassion and respect for what they do,” he said.

“The funding and help are available, but if farmers in Western Australia don't know about it they can't reach out.”

Raising Funds and Awareness

The car enthusiasts spent eight days making the journey up the WA coast, raising nearly $40,000 for farmer support charity Farm Angels.

Along the way, they met with farmers like Arran Teakle, who said the West Coast Long Drive had helped him clear his head.

“The old black dog shows itself every now and then, I just grin and bear it most days,” Mr Teakle said.

“We go through a fair bit; we feel a bit left out and it's something that needs addressing.”

Farming Pressures

Mr Teakle grows wheat, lupin and canola over 2,000 hectares on his family property in Northampton, about 450 kilometres north of Perth. He has dealt with several challenges, including losing 80 per cent of his sheds during Cyclone Seroja and two mouse plagues.

“If it doesn't rain or if it rains too much, that's farming so we deal with that, we can keep going, it's the factors that can be controlled that really affect us such as the ban on live export and the cancellation of visas,” he said.

“We do really need the support of the public when it comes to those sorts of issues; without the public support, you will see mental health issues increase.”

Mr Teakle said the event had shown him that there are support networks available for farmers.

“It's just good to get out there and chat and ask how people are doing,” he said.

The West Coast Long Drivers are hoping to get more people involved next year.