Kenneth 'Keda' Anning fiercely proud of family heritage

Keda died at the age of 82 while piloting his Robinson R22 helicopter, which was reported missing at about 7.20pm that day after failing to arrive at a property in the Hughenden region.

The helicopter wreckage was found on Mt Sturgeon north of Hughenden.

Keda, who was born on November 13, 1938, was blessed to live in a time of great change.

He would remark, "If only my father (Richard Anning) could see the changes that have happened in our world over the last three generations."

To be able to live remotely on the land while having access to global information and services though the internet was just one of these changes.

Keda lived his entire life on the property north of Pentland that his great-grandfather Charles Cummings Stone Anning settled in May 1862.

Boarding school at Thornburgh College in Charters Towers and the odd holiday were his sole reasons for leaving his beloved Reedy Springs.

Charles moved to Australia from a farm in Devon, England in 1852 and took up land in Victoria, Mt Pleasant Station, working that until 1859 when Queensland became a separate state.

He decided to move his family to greener pastures and with a covered wagon, he and his seven sons set out with 200 head of cattle and some sheep to find new land.

His navigational tool each morning was to put the sun on his right and walk. Three years later in 1862 they reached a reedy creek inland from Bowen - Townsville had not yet been settled.

It is said Charles marked the ground, which had an abundance of springs and announced to his family, "We go no further and I call this place Reedy Springs", which is the headwaters of what's known now as the Flinders River.

This was the beginning for the pioneering Anning family in North Queensland.

Through a series of family successions, Keda became the fourth generation of his family to work Reedy Springs.

His father Dick made comment in a letter when Keda was seven that he felt his son thought he would do a better job at running Reedy than he could.

He certainly proved his ability when his chance did come in 1962.

Through sheer tenacity and determination and with the help of his family, he was able to meet the challenges and changes necessary to make Reedy Springs what it is today.

It was said by one of the Anning clan that if the Anning star was to be raised it surely would be done by Keda.

He had wonderful understanding of the land and nature and had natural affinity with his stock.

He was a very successful grazier and left the property in pristine condition.

Together with his wife Barbara (nee Browning), they shared 57 years of life together following their 1963 marriage.

Barbara recalls a challenging life dealing with whatever Mother Nature dealt up.

"It was an old house at Reedy in those days, but we filled it with love and four of the best children one could wish for - Dudley, Sam, Alex and Johanna - over a period of 15 years.

"Keda was always keen to get the kids out on a horse or whatever was going on, and I fought a losing battle when he came to the schoolroom. The maths lesson had to go on hold till next day.

"He was a great father and had endless patience, except when the boys got home from a weekend late on Monday morning. By the time the girls came along, I had him changing nappies."

Many a happy Christmas with extended family or a meal shared at his favourite haunt are fondly remembered.

Keda was fiercely proud of his family and his heritage and similarly the family of him.

Apart from that, flying was Keda's absolute joy and he never wanted to give it up - planes turned to helicopters and they became his sky Toyota, checking mills, fences and cattle.

His four adult children now become the fifth generation to become the custodians of his legacy of Reedy Springs, where his spirit will remain.

Fly high Keda.

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