The Tax Shack

A tale of five 14 year olds who took themselves to night TAFE to learn to weld so they could build the ultimate hang out space.

There’s an unspoken truth about those who reign from the Burdekin, they’re often bold, ingenious and their entrepreneurial spirit starts at a very young age….

In need of a hang-out space, away from prying parent eyes, a group of five friends decided to build something of their own on the banks of the river. It was the perfect spot, it offered river views and privacy. Native trees covered in invasive vines provided cameo cover from the river and towering clumps of elephant grass concealed it from farm headlands.

It needed to be big to accommodate their friends, it needed to stand tall to withstand floods, and it needed to last. Steel was their best option; it would need to be fabricated. Each Monday night for around 8 weeks the group of 14-year-old friends would make their way to the local TAFE and learn the basics of melting metals. They departed with a certificate in their hands and big plans on the horizon.    

Shortly after, works began and the initial foundations were laid for The Shack. It was a constant work in progress, a multistage project that took years to finish. Supplies were limited, consumables were scarce and resources low; the group of friends got thrifty, and items were ‘taxed’, and so The Shack affectionately became known as The Tax Shack.

A cubby house carted across the Burdekin bridge was the first instalment.  Angle line from scaffolding used to paint the sugar mills provided added support, cane bins were quite literally dragged through back roads and used for added flooring, sheets of iron and pipe were claimed from piles on farms, some with permission and some without, balcony fencing, roller doors and more were added, and the Tax Shack grew and grew.

Working bees were common, they generally involved working on the Tax Shack, socialising, a swim at a nearby gully and a cook-up. Not necessarily in that order. As the years passed, older siblings and their friends came to help and take part in the festivities and The Tax Shack became well known and cherished among many.

Maturity brought the desire for creature comforts. A BBQ was set in place, fairy lights twinkled in the tree canopy, tiki torches flickered at sundown keeping mossies at bay and garden gnomes perched added quirk.  The Tax Shack could often be heard before being seen with a compilation of 90s rock, Australian hip hop and techno pounding from the inbuilt sound system.

It was a venue for birthday celebrations, going away parties and gatherings along with the wake of a great mate; never above you, never below you, always beside you.

Time has slowed, lives have changed and age has crept in. The Tax Shack often gets brought up amongst the group who have remained close friends for over 20 years. The words liability, safety and risk are thrown around. The possibility of tearing it down gets raised, and then the memories flood back, the nostalgia takes hold and it’s decided, once again, she’ll stay standing.

After all the next generation of Tax Shack keepers is well on its way.

The Tax Shack as it stands today, on the banks of the river. The property is now owned by one of the original five.

Tax Shack Poem by Chris Vass (one of the five)

Rickety boards, a few straight floors 

Mate this place was built out of passion 

Up in the trees, cops a bloody great breeze 

I don’t think she’ll ever got out of fashion 

There’s dogs at your knees, yeh the stairs are on a lean,  

For the materials were a bit of a ration 

We hit those dumps, like a dingo on a rump

If we got caught, we would have copped a lashing 

Here she stands, mighty tall and strong

Ready for any flood that wants to come along 

Come on River Trust, what have you got?

You’ll need excavators, graders, bulldozers, the lot

I don’t think you’ll bring this shack down,

It’s made from the heart and soul of a bunch of clowns.