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In pictures: 78-year-old female farmer inspired by poetry and rural life
May McKeown watches the sunset on her 6000 acre (2400 hectare) property of 'Long View' near the town of Come-by-Chance, located over 700 kilometres north-west of Sydney in Australia. McKeown, aged 78, lives and works on her property mostly alone as her son is constantly travelling. She daily inspects the property and hand-feeds her cattle, writing poems in her spare time about her lonely life on the flat north-west plains. (David Gray/REUTERS)
Updated on: Apr 06, 2017 9:18 AM IST
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May McKeown watches the sunset on her 6000 acre (2400 hectare) property of 'Long View' near the town of Come-by-Chance, located over 700 kilometres north-west of Sydney in Australia. McKeown, aged 78, lives and works on her property mostly alone as her son is constantly travelling. She daily inspects the property and hand-feeds her cattle, writing poems in her spare time about her lonely life on the flat north-west plains. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown rolls a bail of hay off her truck as she hand-feeds her cattle. McKeown’s family has been farming in the northwest corner of New South Wales State since the late 19th century. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown drives her truck in a paddock as she prepares to hand-feed her cattle. Recent rains have brought some relief to an area hit by years of drought that forced McKeown to cut back her cattle herd and hand-feed the remaining animals. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown drags a metal grate on her farm. Working alone in a male-dominated field like farming has also raised some eyebrows over the years. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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Heat haze can be seen in a paddock on May McKeown's property. In her spare time, McKeown enjoys writing poetry about life on the northwest plains. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown watches the sunset on her property. She takes inspiration from the works of the Australian “bush” poet, Banjo Paterson, who wrote about rural life around the end of the 19th century. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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A book of poetry by May McKeown sits next to a poetry book by Australian poet Banjo Patterson on a table in May's homestead. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown sits at a table reading her poetry in her homestead. Among his most famous poems was “The Man from Snowy River”. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown is reflected in a mirror on her truck as she shuts a gate. She also remembers when her father recited poems from atop his horse on their way home from a day of mustering. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown hand-feeds her cattle. “I will keep going on doing this for as long as I am fit,” she said in a recent interview on her farm (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown rests in a chair out front of her homestead. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown's hat sits on a chair in her homestead. “I will keep going on doing this for as long as I am fit,” she said in a recent interview on her farm. (David Gray/REUTERS)
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May McKeown stands at the main gates at sunset. “Oh, you get all sorts of comments,” McKeown said. “But I know sons of farmers nowadays who can’t drive a tractor, let alone ride a horse like me, and I’m nearly 80!” (David Gray/REUTERS)
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