Rachel Chubb pays tribute to sister Charlee after Gympie woman’s death

The sister of beloved Gympie woman Charlee Chubb has spoken of the 20-year-old’s love of her horse, rodeos, and life on cattle stations following her tragic death while working in the Northern Territory.

The sister of beloved Gympie woman Charlee Chubb has spoken of the 20-year-olds love of her horse, rodeos, and life on cattle stations following her tragic death while working in the Northern Territory. Picture: Facebook

Rachel Chubb says her sister Charlee’s approach to life could be described with one word: “Fearless”.

It was this approach which took the 20-year-old Charlee from school at St Patrick’s College, Gympie, to the other side of the country, mustering on some of Australia’s most remote cattle stations before her tragic death at the end of October.

The 20-year-old is understood to have suffered a medical episode while mustering on a motorbike at Birrindudu Station, the most remote cattle station in Australia.

Rachel Chubb said her heartbroken family was at least comforted Charlee was “doing what she loved, in a place that she loved” at the time of her death.

“She was absolutely fearless,” Rachel said of her younger sister.

“She never said ‘no’ to any challenge.”

The sister of beloved Gympie woman Charlee Chubb has spoken of the 20-year-olds love of her horse, rodeos, and life on cattle stations following her tragic death while working in the Northern Territory. Picture: Facebook

Charlee, born in Gympie, went through school from prep to Year 12 in the city, although Rachel said if she had her own way the education journey would have been cut short in favour of other of cattle and country interests.

“She wanted to leave during Grade 12,” Rachel said.

Growing up, Charlee and her horse became near inseparable.

“Charlee tried every sport with her horse,” Rachel said, with the list stretching from campdrafting to endurance barrel racing, and everything in between.

She did not hesitate to tackle sports involving other animals, either.

Rachel said Charlee was the first girl to ride in a rodeo while she was working at Morestone Plains Station, near Mount Isa.

The 20-year-old shared footage of her first ride with her sister, but it came with a caveat: “Don’t show mum”.

Charlee, born in Gympie, went through school from prep to Year 12 in the city, although Rachel said if she had her own way the education journey would have been cut short in favour of other of cattle and country interests.

When Charlee’s first ride came to its inevitable, surely painful, end in being thrown from the bucking animal, Rachel said she “jumped straight back” and went back for more.

It was a choice which clearly left a legacy.

“All the girls started nominating in (the rodeo) soon after,” Rachel said.

Charlee’s fearlessness extended to her desire to chase a life working at cattle stations.

A GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help the family with funeral costs and to help bring Charlee back to Gympie has raised more than $54,000 in the two weeks since its launch.

After returning from her time at Morestone Plains Station at the start of 2024, she packed up by herself and headed across to Western Australia’s Roebuck Plains Station.

It was a 4500km trip she was determined to make on her own.

“She refused to let dad help,” Rachel said.

Charlee had started to make a slow trip with friends back to Gympie and had stopped over at the Birrindudu station to make some extra money, when the tragedy struck.

A GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help the family with funeral costs and to help bring Charlee back to Gympie has raised more than $54,000 in the two weeks since its launch.

Vale Bill Edgar: Tributes flow for beloved Gympie firefighter