When North Queenslanders look back at the devastating floods of 2019, there is still a lingering sadness, a hurt held by the many producers who lost livelihoods and paddocks of cattle.
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Norah Kersh's, 82, granddaughter was one of those station workers, who jumped in the helicopters, helping cut hay bales off straps and supporting her fellow outback peers.
With pride, Mrs Kersh said her granddaughter was one of many Australians who banded together during this tough time to deliver much needed support to many who were impacted by the floods in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
"It was a traumatic time, some stations had to be deserted. They had to get choppers in and shoot cattle...people were grieving...and they're still hurting," she said.
"It was a dreadful flood, cattle were washed away by the hundreds.
"There were so many people involved and the wonderful thing was people from everywhere, all over Australia came to try and help. There were a lot of donations."
In honour of the resilience of those affected and in recognition of what was lost, Mrs Kersh has added a new book to over a dozen children's books she has written or illustrated for, based solely on life in the outback.
The fictional story, 'Mostly Sunny Elsewhere', takes a "more gentle" look at the tragedy, sharing a story about children and their poddy calves.
"I was trying to acknowledge the hurt that occurred and sort (create) a tribute to the people that went through it but got up and kept going," she said.
The naturally gifted illustrator first began crafting drawings and stories about life in the outback when she moved from her family's sheep farm in western New South Wales to the Kimberley with her jackaroo husband, John.
The pair had worked at a Catholic mission, bringing cattle down into desert country at Gordon Downs Station, Balgo.
She would document life on the land with her artistic talent, something she had developed a passion for at a young age.
They aspired to help provide jobs on the land, mustering and droving cattle, for Aboriginal locals and setting up a cattle station homestead.
They remained there for seven years, employing 18 young men to work in the stock camp, raising their children and working on the land - Mrs Kersh even taking breaks while moving cattle to breastfeed her youngest son.
"We set up this place a fair way south, 100 miles south of where the actual mission was because it was better country down there. We had to drill bores and do all that," she said.
After the seven years, the family relocated to North Queensland, buying a property between Winton and Richmond, where they set down roots and raised their family.
While she had spent years teaching her children through schooling correspondence, she found there was little representation of outback life in children's literature.
"I had this idea...I did an 'Outback Alphabet' about outback kids...stuff most country kids would relate to and my own experiences," she said.
"It's mainly been picture books about stories that have happened, around stuff we know about like bush fires and floods.
"I did one book called 'Sugar Bag Baby' inspired by a story...about a little child born (in Alice Springs in 1903)...whose parents died when fever hit the gold mining camp.
"An 18-year-old pack horse mailman took the baby down into South Australia...in a sugar bag. It took weeks and weeks. I thought it was worthy of a story and I did pictures."
While her nine children are now all grown, Mrs Kersh said her grandchildren find joy in reading about life on the land.
"Kids around the country have bought the books which is lovely. People say 'my kids use your books'. That's the best thing about writing, that children have enjoyed it," she said.
