GORDON Homewood is a bush kid with big dreams.
The six-year-old from Wondinong station at Mt Magnet wants to collect as many livestock ear tags as possible - even more than the highest number he can count to.
And with a massive collection of 760 cattle tags and 220 sheep tags from across the country and as far as Ireland, Canada and Texas, he is well on his way to achieving just that.
"I never thought I would get so many," Gordon said.
"I thought maybe I'd get like 500."
For Gordon, the collection is much more than a hobby.
He wants to memorise the property identifiers for when he grows up and musters cattle in the outback.
"At the beginning I started with four of our blue tags," he said.
"I wanted to know a few more brands and asked my mate Cliff Graham if he could sort it out for me.
"Cliff knows a lot of people because he drives trucks."
Gordon gave Mr Graham a call asking him if he could grab a Yanrey station tag the next time he worked out of the Pilbara.
"I can do one better," Mr Graham responded and put a call out to members of the Ringers From the Top End Facebook page in November 2020.
"This is my little mate Gordon," Mr Graham said.
"Gordon is a fair dinkum outback kid.
"He did a couple of drawings for me.
"For that I organised with his mum to bring him to the highway so I could show him my truck and personally give him a packet of Tim Tams.
"Just the other day he posted me a picture for Christmas.
"Now Gordon has sent me a voice message and told me he's collecting station flag ear tags.
"He asked if I could get one from each of the stations I cart from.
"Well, I'm hoping I can do better than that so here's my request.
"If anyone is interested in helping Gordon out please send a station flag ear tag to Gordon for Christmas.
"Let's show how Australian we can be after an ordinary year."
In true country spirit, the post exploded with 1400 reactions, 311 shares and 130 comments from people expressing their support.
Living 80 kilometres north east of Mt Magnet - and the nearest post office - mail at Wondinong station was checked once a week.
Following the post, mail addressed to Gordon started to fill his family's letterbox with up to 30 envelopes at any given time.
The Bush Telegraph had not failed the six-year-old and soon the old tea box, which was used to store the tags "no longer cut it".
Letters accompanied the ear tags, offering a rundown on the operation they hailed from including how long the property had been in the family and what livestock was run.
Gordon's mum Lara Jensen reads each letter to him before filing them away for safekeeping.
"I always pull out the map and show him where the tags have come from," Ms Jensen said.
"I'm not big on screen time, we live out bush and I like to encourage anything that gets the kids outdoors.
"The collection has been a bit of an educational tool with geography and maths.
"It has definitely been a good thing for Gordon."
The oldest tag of the collection is believed to be a sheep tag from Sam Teasdale, Merredin.
Mr Teasdale wrote in his letter:
"Dear Gordon,
"Congratulations on your hobby and keep going with it, it could even take you around the world.
"The description of my tags are - orange tag approximately 1950 used for sheep."
Mr Teasdale went on to explain that he believed the tag was the first plastic tag made for sheep.
With a collection nudging 1000 ear tags, Gordon said he had a couple of favourites.
"There's one from an Outback Ringer person, his name is Lach McClymont and then there's another one from out there on the way to Kalgoorlie at Melrose station," he said.
"Our friends Merrilea and David Broad are at Melrose.
"A good man named Russell Hamel even gave me two boxes full of ear tags."
Mr Hamel, a retired shearer from New South Wales, is also an avid ear tag collector.
Ms Jensen said she encouraged Gordon to write thank you letters and when other station kids sent tags, draw pictures on the back of his own and send them back.
"They may not end up being collectors, but if they wanted to they could," she said.
"That's the beauty of country people, it doesn't matter where in Australia we are, we are all so similar.
"People have been so generous, we never expected it to grow into what it has.
"Gordon hits people up, sometimes without my knowledge and he is still getting them where he can.
"We still have a few letters to respond to, but we are getting there."
Gordon added, "I want to say thank you to everyone, when I see the letters in the mail it makes me happy."
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