North Queensland Register • July 2025
Will Harrington: from cattle tag reader to ag-tech trailblazer
The full story of William Harrington's journey — from building a homemade NLIS pipe reader from PVC pipe to founding Wi-Sky and bringing 5G to outback Queensland.
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TNQ Drought Hub • 2024
TNQ Drought Hub spotlights north Queensland's drought resilience efforts at Beef Australia 2024
The Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Hub highlights innovative drought management projects from across the region, including work at Olga Downs Station.
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Queensland Country Life
Wi-Sky boosts internet in north-west Queensland towns
William Harrington's Wi-Sky network expands to 30 towers across five shires, delivering fast broadband to farming families and small towns that were previously unserved.
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Queensland Country Life
Wi-Sky to deliver 5G internet to rural Queensland
After securing federal funding, Wi-Sky plans to deploy high-speed 5G to Georgetown, Richmond, Julia Creek, Winton, Normanton, Croydon, and Karumba.
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North Queensland Register
Richmond's centenarian celebrates milestone birthday
Harold "Bam" Brisbin, who worked at Olga Downs for 41 years, celebrates turning 100. A tribute to a lifetime of loyal service in outback Queensland.
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QCN Fibre
Wi-Sky customers the big winners after QCN backhaul upgrade
A major backbone upgrade delivers faster speeds and greater reliability to Wi-Sky customers across north-west Queensland.
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ABC News • July 2021
Olga Downs Station
ABC News visits Olga Downs Station, the Harrington family's cattle property north of Richmond in outback Queensland.
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ABC News Rural • July 2021
Outback internet set to grow by 900 kilometres
ABC Rural reports on Wi-Sky's ambitious plans to extend its wireless network by 900 kilometres, bringing broadband to some of Queensland's most remote communities.
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Queensland Country Life • 2021
One man's mission to connect rural Australia
Richmond PhD student William Harrington wins a Fulbright Scholarship to study how the US agricultural sector manages rural connectivity, heading to Ohio State University.
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ABC News Rural • July 2020
Outback mental health on Woodstock Station
ABC Rural explores mental health in remote outback communities, featuring life on stations in north-west Queensland.
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Australian Government • DAFF
Olga Downs puts breath-based pregnancy tool to the test
How the station trialled Agscent's pioneering handheld device that delivers cattle pregnancy results in under 60 seconds — a potential game-changer for remote producers where the nearest vet is 200 km away.
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The Courier-Mail
Flying high with Queensland Chief Entrepreneur Steve Baxter
Queensland's Chief Entrepreneur Steve Baxter highlights rural innovation, featuring the entrepreneurial work coming out of outback cattle stations.
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Machines4U
Aussie cotton in high demand despite data woes
Features William Harrington of Olga Downs Station, who partnered with Richmond Shire Council to bring high-speed internet to the outback using a Townsville–Mt Isa fibre optic cable.
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North Queensland Register
Richmond's internet — a pilot for remote communities
How Wi-Sky's model of locally-built wireless infrastructure could serve as a blueprint for connecting remote communities across Australia.
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North Queensland Register
Richmond flight school soars
Peter Harrington establishes a flight training school at Olga Downs, offering ultralight pilot training to students in the north-west via satellite theory and on-station practicals.
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Queensland Country Life
Will's need for speed
The early story of William Harrington's quest to bring fast internet to Olga Downs — from 24 kbps dial-up to building his own 46-kilometre microwave relay.
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BBC
BBC Programme — Olga Downs Station
A BBC feature on Olga Downs Station and the Harrington family's life and innovations in outback Queensland.
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