“We failed two years in a row”: Heartbreaking reason Shannon Noll is raising his voice for our Aussie farmers
Having risen to fame after coming second on television show Australian Idol, Shannon Noll is now raising his voice for a good cause.
Noll, who was raised on a farm with his older brothers, remembers the time when he worked alongside his father in Condobolin in NSW’s Central West.
With some of his most precious memories created amongst sheep and growing calves, Noll said he wouldn’t change country life for anything in the world.
But after his father's passing due to a farming accident, the place that he once found great solace in was taken due to the drought, and while he held onto hope that one day the farm would become what it once was, the absence of rain made that harder to envision as the days went on.
“We failed two years in a row and it’s just crippling to see your crops dying,” Noll told 9NEWS.
“We were in so much debt but also not being able to feed your stock is one of the most heart-wrenching things in the world,” he added.
After facing financial downfall, Noll made a mutual decision with his brothers to sell the farm that had been in his family for almost a century.
“To walk off that property that my grandfather’s father bought was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. We felt like we let everyone down, let dad’s memory down.
“But those two years were the first of a 10-year drought, we just never would have made it through.”
Because of this, Noll feels a personal connection with the Australian farmers who are currently facing this exact situation at this present moment.
With NSW and Queensland facing the worst drought in over 70 years, farmers are forced to either sell their animals or watch them die due to lack of resources.
“I was talking to a merino breeder in Condo recently and after this shearing, they have to make a decision about how many of their flock they’ll have to sell to keep the rest alive,” said Noll.
“There’s no water in the dam and not a blade of grass in sight. I don’t think some people realise it’s not just about their farmers’ livelihoods; it’s about their history and their heritage.
“Some of these families have been working on bloodlines for 30 or 40 years. You wouldn’t believe how hard that is.”
This is why Noll has travelled to Dubbo where the TODAY show will air a special Farm Aid Telethon to recognise our farmer's hard work through a time of immense hardship. Joining him will be former X-Factor contestant Jason Owen who comes from a town in the central west of NSW with a population of only 12 people.
“I’ve honestly never seen it this dry in my life and it is so hard to go home and see friends and family struggling,” Owen told 9NEWS.
“The weather is something completely out of our control, but we certainly can still try to make a difference in the lives of these people.”
As they struggle to make ends meet, many farmers are struggling with their mental health and Owen has a message out there for our Aussie farmers.
“People do care and please don’t ever think there is no one out there for you. No matter how hard the times, people want to listen and are there.”
The singer has promised to donate 100 per cent of his profits from his two recent shows and his new song to the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners – a charity that donates bales of hay to farmers.
“If the stock isn’t getting fed they are dying and then the farmers are faced with the horrible decision of putting them down.
“I wouldn’t wish that suffering on anyone.”
Nine’s Fighting for our Farmers Drought Relief Appeal has already raised over $4.3 million. If you wish to donate, then you can jump online, visit any Westpac branch or call 1800 732 165 between 5.30 am and 10 pm AEST on weekdays or 7 am to 10 pm AEST this weekend.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.