- Title: AUSTRALIA: BRITAIN'S PRINCE HARRY VISITS THE OUTBACK
- Date: 26th September 2003
- Summary: (W3)SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2003) (REUTERS) MV PRINCE HARRY AT TARONGA ZOO WITH KOALA; MV PRESS TAKING PICTURES; SCU HARRY PUTTING ON AKUBRA HAT (3 SHOTS)
- Embargoed: 11th October 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: INJUNE, SOUTHWEST QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Topics: General,People,Royalty
- Reuters ID: LVAEI4FAOG8QWZNMO51HUZ4HND3O
- Story Text: Prince Harry visits the Australian outback.
Britain's Prince Harry began work as a cattlehand on Wednesday (September 24, 2003) on a scorching hot outback Australian cattle station owned by friends of his late mother Princess Diana.
"He'll learn to survive in the outback. He'll learn to handle sheep, handle cattle. Like the rest of us in southwest Queensland he'll learn to be an individual," said local resident Ray Holmes.
There was little sign of the prince in the sleepy outback town, but residence say they will give him a warm Aussie welcome if they see him around.
When asked how she would address the prince one young woman replied "Say 'Hello, how you going? and do you like it out here?"'
"I'd invite him for a beer, yes," said another young local. "He can come down and have a beer with me, and with everyone else, yes," he added.
Harry, the second son of heir to the throne Prince Charles, arrived in Australia on Tuesday (September 23) for a three-month working holiday as part of year off between school and a career in the army.
After a brief public appearance at Sydney's zoo on Tuesday, Harry flew to the sprawling Tooloombilla station, a 16,600 hectares (41,500 acres) cattle breeding station.
Tooloombilla is owned by Annie Hill, a long-time friend of Princess Diana, and her husband Noel.
Clarence House, Charles's London headquarters, has not released any details about where 19-year-old Harry will stay during his Australia visit.
But Warren Wilson, mayor of Booringa Shire which incorporates Tooloombilla, 600 km (372 miles) northwest of Brisbane in tropical Queensland state, said Harry received a warm welcome.
"It's quite a wonderful event and we're very proud," he said.
Although some locals weren't sure if the outback would suit royalty.
"I don't know if he's gonna get his pampered lifestyle," joked one man.
High temperatures are one thing the prince will have to get used to. Tooloombilla experienced temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.
British newspaper, The Telegraph, said Noel Hill is the son of Sinclair Hill, who taught Prince Charles and Australia's richest man Kerry Packer to play polo.
A Clarence House spokeswoman has said Harry is also likely to play in a couple of private polo matches, as well as cheer England on at the Rugby World Cup which begins - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None