City man organises charity drive to show appreciation for farmers
City slicker Dan Sutherland decided he wanted to show his appreciation for Western Australia's farmers by organising the West Coast Long Drive.
The convoy of iconic paddock-bashers roared their way through the Wheatbelt and Gascoyne in their 40 series LandCruisers.
It was a conversation starter, and exactly the attention the West Coast Long Drivers had been hoping for when they set out on an eight-day journey from Perth to Bullara Station, to raise awareness of the mental health challenges for farmers.
The West Coast Long Drive follows on from a similar event held in Queensland. (ABC Pilbara: Yousuf Shameel)
"We've stopped in a lot of rural towns where there's just true Aussie battlers; the old fellas sitting around the bar, the old bar flies, farmers, pastoralists and truck drivers," Mr Sutherland said.
"You could have a really bad day and all it takes is for someone to say mate, 'I see you, I feel you, I care about you, I respect you and we're here for you'."
Mr Sutherland said his love for his vintage car drew him to Queensland's Long Drive for Drought a few years ago.
He was struggling with his own mental health at the time, and said the stories from the farmers inspired him to bring the charity event back home.
"Just from the outside looking in, I've got a lot of compassion and respect for what they do," he said.
"The funding and help are available, but if farmers in Western Australia don't know about it they can't reach out."
The car enthusiasts spent eight days making the journey up the WA coast. (ABC Mid West & Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis)
Along the way, the group raised nearly $40,000 for farmer support charity Farm Angels.
Going beyond statistics
Until a few years ago, Mr Sutherland said he had no idea of the silent mental health crisis impacting farming communities across the country.
Isolation and stigma around mental health are major barriers preventing farmers from accessing support.
More than half of farmers have felt depressed in the past two years, according to the 2026 National Farmer Wellbeing Report.
And more than 90 per cent felt undervalued by the Australian public.
Behind these statistics are real people, like Long Drive participant and farmer Arran Teakle.
"The old black dog shows itself every now and then, I just grin and bear it most days,"
Mr Teakle said.
"We go through a fair bit; we feel a bit left out and it's something that needs addressing."
Farming pressures
Mr Teakle grows wheat, lupin and canola over 2,000 hectares on his family property in Northampton, about 450 kilometres north of Perth.
Five years ago, he lost 80 per cent of his sheds during Cyclone Seroja and has dealt with two mouse plagues and periods of low rain since.
The convoy travelling through the Mid West region. (ABC Mid West & Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis)
Farming pressures are becoming increasingly widespread but Mr Teakle said it was ingrained in farmers to "take it as it comes".
"If it doesn't rain or if it rains too much, that's farming so we deal with that, we can keep going, it's the factors that can be controlled that really affect us such as the ban on live export and the cancellation of visas," he said.
"We do really need the support of the public when it comes to those sorts of issues; without the public support, you will see mental health issues increase."
The team stopped in at many towns along the route. (ABC Mid West & Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis)
Mr Teakle said the West Coast Long Drive had helped him clear his head.
"After going on this long drive with Farm Angels I can see there are support networks out there," he said.
"It's just good to get out there and chat and ask how people are doing."
The West Coast Long Drivers are hoping to get more people involved next year.
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