Farmer Val Mouritz has lived in Hyden, WA, in the shadow of Wave Rock, all her life.

Story By Elspeth Langford

Visitors to Hyden, WA, are welcomed by a sign proclaiming it is “Bush Living at its Best”. It seems an apt description for the life of one of Hyden’s best-known residents, the remarkable Val Mouritz. Val’s late husband, Russel, wanted to use Hyden’s famous Wave Rock as a lure for travellers to experience the outback. Val, at age 82, continues today what Russel started with the Hyden Wildlife Park in the shadow of the rock, while continuing to manage her 4000-hectare farm at East Hyden, where she runs approximately 2000 Merino sheep and 150 head of Santa Gertrudis cattle.

This Story is from Issue #99

Outback Magazine: Feb/Mar 2015