Bourke Council considers naming road after Jack Buster

Jack Buster at Bourke Airport with his Tiger Moth. Photo Buster Family Archive

Bourke Shire council is considering naming a road withing the Bourke Airport precinct after prominent Bourke cotton grower – Jack Buster.

The unnamed road runs off to the right of the access road to Bourke Airport – Sid Coleman Drive to two industrial zoned parcels of land including Garf Mechanical Repairs.

The land on the other side of the road is large lot residential zoned land, which is currently undeveloped.

General Manager of Bourke Shire Council, Leonie Brown said council had brought forth a proposal to name the road Buster Lane, after well-known local identity, Jack Buster.

“Jack Buster was such a fantastic person and did a lot in our community. Most people wouldn’t realise what he did behind the scenes,” Mrs Brown said. “He was also a keen pilot and built his own plane.”

Jack Buster, who passed away in 2014, was regarded as the father of the Bourke cotton industry.

He and his wife, Harriett, moved from their home in the United States in 1964 to pursue their dream to develop cotton in Australia.

They came by sea to Australia with their five children and various farming and cotton-picker machines. The family initially went to Wee Waa, to work in the cotton industry with Jack’s brother-in-law and father-in-law. Mr Buster was inspired to move to Bourke where there seemed to be “unlimited water and very little irrigation development.” […]

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