The four-month-old calves, Edna and Eddie, have been loaned to the education program by Phil and Annette Howie of Maneroo Station, and they will also be involved with teaching the youngsters at Alawa Primary School about their animal charges.

Luke Bowen, the Executive Director of the NT Cattlemen’s Association, says the rural education program is a pilot project, which he hopes to run out in other territory school, and possibly take as far as Canberra.

“The aim is to give urban children an insight into beef production and the role it has played in the development of Northern Territory’s economy and culture,” Mr Bowen said.

“The children will get an overview of the history of the industry, life on the land, animal husbandry, the environment and what it is like to work in the cattle industry.

“We are looking at the possibility of station visits as part of the program.

“But in the meantime, we will bring these calves into the city so that these youngsters get an appreciation of animal husbandry and welfare from an early age.”

Alawa Primary School, in Darwin’s Northern suburbs, was chosen for the pilot program because it has a working farm within its extensive grounds.

Class teacher Bindi Isis says that the program is unique, because primary school-aged children are gaining hands-on experience of animal husbandry within the school grounds.

She is supervising the planting of pasture by the students, and explaining feeding regimes involving hay cubes, natural grass and improved pasture.

Animal health expert Barry Lemcke is overseeing the health of the calves, and former Territory cattlemen and politician Roger Steele will be one of a cast of guest speakers who will tell the children about life on the land.

Even former Territory Administrator and professional entertainer Ted Egan is getting into the act.

Mr Egan, who wrote the cattle country ballad, the Drover’s Boy, will explain the role of Aborigines in the development if the cattle industry in the North, and use his songs to explain the history of the pastoral industry.