FOR a bloke who freely admits to not being much of a reader, Luke Mitchell sure likes his books.
The 63-year-old retired stockman has for the past six years travelled the outback, collecting unwanted books with the sole purpose of giving them away.
Mr Mitchell worked across central and Western Australia most of his life. He still does the miles, but for a completely different reason.
He was in Moree on Wednesday collecting hundreds of books he’ll distribute across far-western New South Wales and outback Queensland. Some might even make it to South Australia.
Mr Mitchell regularly calls though Wanaaring, Tibooburra, White Cliffs and as far west as Brewarrina, Cobar, Louth, Bourke and Fords Bridge on the Warrego River.
He collects books from larger towns across New South Wales then hits the road in his trusty Nissan Patrol ute, and delivers his donated cargo to bush libraries, outreach stations, private homes, isolated farmhouses, cattle and sheep stations, and roadhouses and pitstops along the way.
“I drop off to caravan parks as well, all the way from Moree to Broken Hill,” he said.
Mr Mitchell freely admits to barely being able to read and write, but adds wisely, “I believe every child should own a book”.
He travels the outback for about five months of the year and has just started venturing into Queensland.
Mr Mitchell pays all his own expenses, including fuel, and often camps under the stars.
“Many farmers and land-owners help me out with diesel and a bit of tucker. I find that absolutely amazing, but typical of farming communities,” he said.
Mr Mitchell, whose home-base is Cowra in central-western New South Wales, has in recent months spread his wheel-tracks further.
“I now go over the Queensland border and have also been to South Australia, just along the edge of the New South Wales border and up to Cameron’s Corner. I’ve been all over the joint, I suppose,” he smiled.
“I’ve done a couple of trips to Innamincka (South Australia) down through Boulia (Queensland) and across the Diamantina, and just started the Thargomindah-Eulo area as well as Hungerford and Hamilton Gate in Queensland.”
Mr Mitchell estimates he’s “saved” more than 35,000 books since starting his outback treks in 2018.
“I went to Coonabarabran tip one day and there was a bloke chucking out a heap of books,” he said.
“He told me he couldn’t get rid of them any other way, so I loaded up a trailer and took them bush.
“I found people were quite interested in the idea, so I started taking books to remote stations and communities that normally don’t have access to this sort of thing.”
Mr Mitchell travels solo most of the time, but with the likes of Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson in the passenger seat, there’s really no need for an offsider.
“It’s a big job on my own. I love it, but it doesn’t hurt having company every now and again,” he said.
Mr Mitchell’s Moree visits came about when he was contacted by local resident, Jenny Pritchard.
“I read a story about Luke in the Narrabri paper about three years ago, so I contacted him and asked whether he would be coming through Moree,” Mrs Pritchard said.
“This is the third year he’s stopped in Moree to collect unwanted books. After his first visit, I rounded up people to drop off their books for collection.
“What Luke does is fantastic. I’m happy to support him, and I get good support from the community and friends,” she said.
Mr Mitchell takes all genres in hardcover and paperbacks.
“I usually pick them up along the way, sort them out, and deliver them to small communities and outreach stations,” he said.
“Mills and Boon are popular and so are James Patterson, Jeffrey Archer and Tom Clancy. Gardening books and cookbooks, as well as Australian history books, are also very popular.”
His Moree haul this trip totalled more than 500 titles, with next stop Wee Waa, west of Narrabri.
“I have a trailer full of books, as well as a shed-full, sitting at Wee Waa waiting for me,” he smiled.
Words and Image: Bill Poulos
