Legendary Tributes for Tom Kruse
Forget Hollywood’s Tom Cruise and his fancy stunts. Our very own Tom Kruse, the legendary Aussie outback mailman, took on challenges that make Mission Impossible look like a walk in the park.
To honour this outback icon and the 70th Anniversary of the 1954 documentary “Back of Beyond,” which put him on the national stage, there are two special events lined up. The first takes place in Tom Kruse’s birthplace, Waterloo, featuring a BBQ lunch, screenings of both the 1954 film “The Back of Beyond” and the 2014 documentary “The Mailmen Back of Beyond,” with Ian Doyle OAM as the MC. The second event will be held at the National Motor Museum, showcasing the original 16mm film of along with talks by experts and a viewing of Tom’s 1936 Leyland Badger in the Sunburnt Country exhibition.
Known as the Birdsville Mailman, Tom delivered mail and essential supplies to a wide region of the outback from 1936 until 1957. From Marree in northwest South Australia to Birdsville in far western Queensland, a gruelling 523 kilometres, Tom’s fortnightly trips were filled with breakdowns, flooding creeks, and rivers, and getting bogged in desert dunes.
Tom Kruse’s contributions were widely recognised and in 2000 he was inducted into the National Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs, and in 2003 he was officially recognised as an Outback Legend by Australian Geographic magazine. That same year, Tom and his truck, the Badger, were nominated as South Australian icons by the National Trust of Australia. Bronze busts of Tom can be found at the National Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs, the National Motor Museum at Birdwood, his birthplace in Waterloo, and both Birdsville and Marree. Tom passed away in 2011 at the age of 96.
110th Birthday Celebration for Tom Kruse, Waterloo
When: Sunday 18 August, 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Waterloo Hall, Waterloo
Cost: Adults $20/Children $10
More information and tickets can be found here
Tom Kruse’s 110th Birthday Celebration at the National Motor Museum
When: Saturday 31 August 2024, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Where: National Motor Museum, Birdwood
Cost: $27.50 includes supper
More information and tickets can be found here.
