Sophie Matterson
Sophie Matterson is an adventurer and author of the book The Crossing. In 2020 and 2021 Sophie solo trekked 4,750 kilometres across the width of Australia, from Shark Bay, Western Australia to Byron Bay, New South Wales, with her five camels. Sophie became the first woman with a herd of camels to complete such a journey on foot, and in 2022 was granted the Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure Award.
Sophie first discovered her passion for camels when she took a break from her career in film and television to work on a camel dairy on the Sunshine Coast. Her unexpected fascination with these enigmatic and intelligent animals fuelled a desire for adventure and she travelled abroad to the USA, and Rajasthan India, where she stayed with the camel trainers and nomads. After returning to Australia, Sophie moved to Uluru where she mustered her own camels from the wild and spent a year training them to carry her equipment for her walk. Her journey of 13 months, took her through some of the most remote and isolated parts of the country, including the Strzelecki Desert, and Australia’s largest desert, the Great Victoria Desert. In her subsequent memoir, Sophie delves into choosing the path less travelled, and how the adversity of the journey led to a sense of empowerment, as well as the revelation of the beauty of Australia’s wild and arid heart.
Anne Scammell
Anne was born in Adelaide and lived there from the age of six to matriculation at 17. Teachers College where she studied Physical Education and teaching along with German, at Adelaide University, was preceded by a year as an exchange student in Germany. Working life began as a secondary teacher at Port Augusta High School and then at Penola after marrying Mark Scammell, who was managing a property at Coonawarra in the South East of South Australia.
Anne and Mark had two boys at Mount Gambier hospital and in 1982 left the South East for a 3 month trek through Australia with Joe, a 1 ½ year old and Lachie, a 3 year old. In 1983 the family purchased Illeroo Station, situated due west of Port Augusta. Kirsty was born in 1984 and Lachie started school at School of the Air when she was three months old. RICE and School of the Air (SOTA) helped the family settle into bush life. ICPA stalwarts of the Gawler Ranges and Flinders Ranges also took the family under their wing with regular meetings and events such as state and federal conferences. Anne was supervisor for all three children. There was one year with a governess.
In 1991 ICPA national conference was held in Port Augusta. Anne was convener along with Laura’s grandmother, Lorraine Greenfield, Lorna Schmidt and Lyn Nagel. All done with fax machine, letters and telephones in those days.
In 1992, Lachie had started boarding school, the wool market had collapsed and Anne went back to teaching, this time as a primary teacher: German and Special Needs at Carlton PS. Then German and Special Needs at Port Augusta West PS before the dream job of Co-ordinator of Supervisor Support at SOTA. The role also included teaching Year 6/7 on UHF radio and German through Grant High School in Mount Gambier via telephone.
Anne and Mark sold Illeroo in 2002 and moved to Mount Lyndhurst Station on the Strzelecki Track. It was a wonderful adventure brought undone by the ongoing drought and the growing debt. A quieter life followed. A year wandering around Australia, 8 years running a small motel in Elliston on the West Coast and from 2016, back on the farm at Melrose. Quiet workwise but busy with family who expanded to include 11 grandchildren in 6 years.
