The Country 04/12/25: Chris Russell talks to Jamie Mackay

Our Australian correspondent talks rugby, cricket, The Country Hour and blowflies!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's our Ossie corresponded his name as Chris Russell. He
is based out of Sydney, probably wishes he was in
Brisbane today. Second Ashes Test gets underway five o'clock. I
think in z time it's the pink Ball Test. But
Chris just we might come back to that because we've
got lots of farming stuff to talk about as well.
But hot off the press is the drawer for the

(00:20):
Rugby World Cup. Lo and behold, Australia and New Zealand
are in the same Paul. I think we play each
other in the opening match. But more importantly or dangerously,
whoever wins that Paul will probably have to face South Africa.
If not South Africa then England. Do you think the
All Blacks or the Assies might try and throw a game?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
I never let it be said, Jamie, you know, I
mean it'll be It'll be interesting to see the tactics
we come up. We had a new coach in January February,
or Red's coach, but a little bit unknown in this role.
But it is an intriguing idea because it's the first time,
of course that the Wallabies and the All Blacks have
faced each other in the Pool game beginning with a

(01:01):
couple of other minnos really in pool A and as
you say, whoever wins that Pool's going to be up
against South Africa first up. Well that's not a good
start to any sort of a campaign. So the tactics
will have a lot to do with this series, I suggest, Jamie, Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
We might come back Chris Russell to the crickets later today.
But I want to talk about a rural program, and
this one, I guess is loosely based on what you
do in Australia. You've got the Country. Our We've got
the Country. Your show celebrates eighty years. We celebrated thirty
last year.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yes, I was intrigued with this, and yes I remember
first joining you in nineteen ninety four in that correspondence.
Of course, the Country Hour here, which unlike your program,
doesn't go to the capital cities. Unfortunately it's only a
bush program. But it was started on the third of
December nineteen forty five, not long after the end of
World War II, and a guy called Dick Snedden, who

(01:59):
was a hunter valley cattle auctioneer, launched that national program
and you know his immortal worse to start it with
hello everyone. This is Dick Snedden of the Country Hour,
with a program for the farm families of Australia. And
it's been recognized ever since. And Theginness World Book of
Record actually recognized Australia's longest running radio program. So we

(02:23):
come a long way in agriculture one hundred billion this year.
In ninety forty five we were still learning. But a
lot of traditions there and I'll look forward to hearing
the day. Maybe I won't see it, but when you
guys reach eighty years of broadcasting with the Country jaming and.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
I don't think neither you or I will be around there.
But you never know, Chris, you never know. Look something
else that is an AUSSI traditions blowflies, But you're trying
to breed sterile blowflies. But wouldn't that mess with the
food chain.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Well, I don't think it's a food chain we care
about messing with. And down in Kangaroo Island they've been
very successful at getting rid of a number of feral
animals down there, pigs, cats, all sorts of things, and
they're now working on the blowfly now, of course, blowflies
Lucilla caprina is the main cause of fly strike here

(03:14):
in Australia, which is a massive problem, and they've been
experimenting with about they put about I think eight million
dollars in developing an experimental plant to breed sterile blowflies.
Fascinating plant, all biosecurity, You go through airlocks to get in.
Once you get in there, they actually take all of
the maggots and when they pupet, they radiate them millions

(03:38):
at a time. Then they go with aircraft and I've
been dropping him in strips over sections of Kangaroo Island.
And the Lusilla caprina only mates once. The female only
mates once, so if the first mile she finds a sterile,
that's her done and there's no more progeny from those flies.
So they're aiming next year to actually do the entire

(03:59):
island so that every female will first come across a
sterile mile rather than a non sterile mile, and in
that way they're having to eliminate blowflies from the island
by the next year, which is a very ambitious task.
But in the trial areas this year, I was listening
to some farmer's sheep farmers saying they have seen no
fly strike this year on their farms, which is an

(04:21):
amazing achievement, and it would be wonderful to see if
we could get rid of blowfires. I think we'd give
up on the food changes to make sure we got
rid of them and didn't have to fight the fly
strike issue in Country Australia.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Jamie Way, you wouldn't need the corks on your hats.
Chris Hey, there'll be lots of testosterone flowing at the
Gabba this afternoon. Paintball test I hope because I love
the ashes. I hope the damn thing goes longer than
two days.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
Well, I agree, and I agree with you. This basball thing's,
you know, is ridiculous, but that's what the British do,
and I don't think they're going to change that. I
think my own view is they've just got to be
a little bit more careful about where they do. It.
May just seem to operate on this slash and go
type philosophy for every game rather than looking at the

(05:08):
conditions the pitch and so on and deciding when it's
appropriate when it isn't. But anyway, we'll see what happens.
Mitchell Stark, may I overtake what's him? Akram is the
finest left hand quick ever. He holds four hundred and
fourteen wickets over one hundred and eight Tests. I think
we're one hundred and three Tests. Whereas was him, where's

(05:30):
Mitchell Stark is up to four hundred and eleven wickets,
So if he guess gets three wickets, he'll become the
greatest left left hand quick ever seen in the world.
And he's certainly got a lot of cricket left in him,
Mitchell Stark. So I'm really looking forward to the game.
I don't think the Poms are. They don't like pinkball cricket,
but I don't like the gamma. They haven't won this

(05:51):
since nineteen eighty six, so it's going to be a
very interesting game and they can't wait for it to
get cracking. I think at five o'clock your time, Jamie, Okay.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Chris Russell, we'll look forward to that, and we'll look
forward to yearning to you again, same time, same place,
next week.

Speaker 2 (06:04):
Sounds good.