On Location with 'The Sundowners' Page #4

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I reckon that puts the kibosh on it.

No point in wasting Mr. Quinlan's time.

Now, look, just a minute.

We've still got an opening

for a cook and a wool roller.

How do either of them strike you?

The roller's job is gone

to Mr. Venneker.

That leaves me.

How about me for the cook?

Just a minute, darl.

You never cooked for a-

That queers it.

I never use a woman cook.

Right-o, if the missus ain't

good enough for you, neither am I.

Come on, love.

Hold your horses.

As union representative of this team,

I gotta remind you of the rules.

It's the men who choose the cook,

not the boss.

Bluey, use your head, man.

They've gotta have a cook they can

abuse if the tucker's not up to scratch.

That tucker will be up to scratch,

all right.

If that's them, why don't you ask them?

All right. Hey, you blokes,

come on over here, will you?

Come on, move it.

There's a lady here

looking for a job as cook.

Now, it's up to you blokes,

like the union rep says.

As far as I'm concerned, the vote's no.

A wool shed's no place for a woman.

I won't be in the wool shed,

I'll be in the kitchen.

Been a long time since I had a meal

cooked by a woman.

- Be a nice change.

- I'm not worried about the food, missus.

But there's rough language

that goes on in the shed.

Some might shock you,

you know what I mean?

- You wouldn't be able to stand it, love.

- I've stood your language for 16 years.

If she can cook as good as my missus,

I'm for her.

I'm for giving the lady a chance.

Well, yeah. Let's try her out.

All we can get is indigestion.

Sean!

That boy of mine

is real keen to get started.

He'll do.

It's that husband of yours

who don't seem too keen.

You haven't got a worry.

He's as happy as a lark.

What the-?

All New South bloody Wales to drive in,

and you gotta aim at us!

Didn't you hear me blow me horn?

What's blowing your horn

got to do with it?

- We had the right of way!

- Right of way? Go-

Right-o. You're in the wrong,

and that's all there is to it.

- Come on. Shake a leg.

- You wanna pull your head in.

- Herbie was in the right.

- Who asked you to put your oar in-?

Like to make a small wager

on who's gonna get-?

Hey! Get back!

Right-o, everybody. All aboard.

The war's over.

- Get up.

- All aboard!

Well, I must've drew Jack Dempsey.

I was going up and down

like a lavatory seat.

Ocker, it was you

what got us into that donnybrook.

- Good on him. Had the time of me life.

- Looked like you done some pro fighting.

I was up for the middleweight title

back in '01.

Got put in me back in the ninth.

Too much unwatered beer.

- I remember you. You're Turk Tuthill.

- I was all right.

Just wasn't good enough to be champ.

I'd say Paddy's missus

was champ today.

I never seen anyone

break up a fight so quick.

You got a real good sort there, Paddy.

Yeah.

Anyone know how to spell

"obstetrician"?

I'll tell you how if you tell us why.

Because I'm gonna have a baby.

- Did you hear that?

- Good on you, boy.

- Why, you little beauty.

- You'll do me for a dadda.

What do you want, Bluey,

a boy or a girl?

Make it a girl. They never have to work

as hard as us poor mugs.

Why don't you stop laughing?

If it is a boy, you gonna bring him up

to be a shearer?

Oh, no, no.

No, he's gonna be a cricketer.

The best bat since Victor Trumper.

He's gonna play for Australia

like I wanted to but never did.

Neither will he, because he's gonna

be a she. I'm never wrong.

Ocker, why don't you shut

your big, sour trap?

I hope he's good enough, Bluey.

Oh, he'll be good enough,

I'll see to that.

All he's gotta do is be born a boy.

- What's amusing you?

- Gee, it's gonna be fun.

This is the first time

I was ever away from home.

With your mom and dad

not 50 yards outside that window.

You call that being away from home?

Being out in the world's

a state of mind, not of geography.

Distance between that tent

and this bunkhouse...

...is the longest journey

you'll ever make in your life.

Anybody hollers for a bucket of dip,

you bring it, see?

You can't go wrong,

short of getting counted for a sheep.

Here comes the brains.

All right, men!

Hold on. Want him to think

you hear him?

You gotta keep the bosses

in their places.

This is the boss, Mr. Halstead.

Good day, men.

I want you to work fast,

but careful, right?

All right.

Get ready, now.

Who is it?

Good morning. I'm Jean Halstead.

Oh, the boss's wife. Come in.

I'm Ida Carmody.

I thought I'd drop in

and see if there's anything you need.

As a matter of fact, there is.

Would the boss go for me

getting a little oilcloth...

...to edge the shelves and windows?

I don't see why not.

Sorry it's such a dreary place

for you to work in.

It's the first kitchen I've been able

to call my own since I left home...

...and that's a long time ago.

To me, it's heaven.

Well, come on, sit down,

have a cuppa with me.

I just made a fresh pot.

I'll bet you didn't get that dress

in Cawndilla.

You remind me of a society girl who

gets their picture in the Sydney papers.

I used to be one before I got married.

Thought I'd changed by now.

Oh, aged? Not so as it shows.

You don't even look married.

I don't feel it most of the time.

Oh, living way out here

must be a big change...

...from what you're used to.

How do you like it?

I'm trying to.

Bob loves the place so...

...and he worries about

my not belonging.

The real trouble is, I've nothing to do.

Sorry.

I don't usually spill over like that.

Don't be silly.

You get starved for another woman

to talk to sometimes. I know.

This is a good country for sheep,

and it's not bad for men...

...but it's hard on us women.

The men come here for the sheep.

We come here for the men...

...and most of us finish up

looking like the sheep.

Wrinkled faces, knotty hair,

not even much of a mind of our own.

I think you'd always have a mind

of your own, Mrs. Carmody.

You sure you have time for a chat

with all those men to cook for?

It's their aching backs they'll be worrying

about tonight, not their stomachs.

First day's hard on them,

but it's a blessing for the cook.

Well, I hope you're satisfied,

you and Sean.

And Sam. Mustn't forget about Sam.

Shut up. You're worse than Ocker.

Why don't you give yourself

a chance to like it?

I don't see how you can like it,

cooking for a mob of no-hopers.

Working your fingers to the bone.

I'm having a real good time.

I got room to put things

and a chair to sit on...

...and another woman around

if I want a bit of a gossip.

She's a nice little piece,

not too happy either.

That Halstead probably gives her

a rough time of it.

No, just the opposite.

Keeps her wrapped in cotton wool.

Women don't like that, you know.

Educate me, darl.

Tell me what women do like.

All right.

No, no, no. Around here,

we do everything by the bell.

Get up by the bell, go to sleep

by the bell, eat by the bell...

...wash by the bell.

We ain't got a bell for that, Ide.

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