Self-taught baker Dusty Miller has turned dream into outback reality with the Birdsville Bakery.
Story By Nathan Dyer
It's midday at Birdsville and the bakery on Billabong Boulevard is full. Tourists sit around chewing on curried camel pies and talking about their outback adventures. There’s a clatter behind the pie warmer and a big mustachioed bloke steps forth. “Roll up, roll up for the outback’s shortest floor show,” the big fella booms, grabbing the attention of all and sundry.
Stepping into the centre of the room, Dusty Miller holds up a loaded rabbit trap and sticks his hand in it: “Whack!” The trap snaps shut on his bare hand. The crowd shudders. Then there’s applause and laughter, a quiet thank you from Dusty, and the amused diners continue quaffing pies. Settling back behind the counter, Dusty says the rabbit trap is fair dinkum. “It’s a real rabbit trap … and it probably works as well as the day it was made,” he declares. “All it does is leave a bit of a dent in my hand; sometimes it’ll leave a bit of a bruise if catches the bone.”
This story excerpt is from Issue #91
Outback Magazine: Oct/Nov 2013
