The Sundowners

Paddy Carmody is a sheep drover and shearer, roaming the sparsely populated Australian outback with his wife Ida Carmody and their son Sean Carmody. They live as sundowners, constantly moving and pitching a tent whenever the sun dips low. Ida longs for a settled life, while Paddy’s wanderlust pulls him toward the next horizon. During a crossing through the bush, the family meets refined Englishman Rupert Venneker and hires him to help drive a large herd of sheep to the town of Cawndilla. Along the way, they survive a dangerous bushfire, a stark reminder of the land’s power and their fragile nomadic rhythm.

In Cawndilla, the pub run by Mrs. Firth becomes a gathering place, and Rupert begins to spend nights there. Yet neither man dreams of settling down; his own wanderlust mirrors Paddy’s reluctance to plant roots. Ida persuades Paddy to take a job at a station where she cooks, Rupert handles wool, and Sean works as a tar boy. Ida also grows closer to their employer’s lonely wife, Jean Halstead. When Liz, Bluey Brown’s pregnant wife, arrives unannounced, she helps [Jean Halstead] through the birth of her first child, offering a moment of shared labor amid a rugged frontier life.

Ida saves money toward a down payment on a farm, while Paddy agrees to participate in a shearing contest against a rival crew. He leaves six weeks into the season, but Ida convinces him to stay. He loses the contest to an old veteran, yet soon wins a substantial sum and a racing horse in a two-up game. They name the horse Sundowner and, with Sean as his jockey, enter him in local races as they travel after the shearing ends. Sean and Sundowner win their first race, a small but meaningful victory for the family.

Ida finally nudges Paddy toward buying the farm she and Sean envision, but a late-night gamble wipes out Ida’s savings. Paddy apologizes and reveals a plan: if Sundowner wins the next race, the funds will cover the down payment. Sundowner does win, but interference leads to disqualification and the deal falls through. Nevertheless, Paddy’s remorse heals the rift with Ida, and the couple commits to saving enough for that shared dream of owning a farm one day.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:58