Outback communities ‘in shock’ after chopper crash claims life of beloved pastoralist Mike Harding

Longtime residents of Mataranka and Larrimah have paid tribute to a ‘generous gentleman’ and ‘great Territorian’ as loved ones remain in shock at the sudden death of the Gorrie Station owner.

Mataranka Store and Service Station owner Judy Kutschki behind the counter. Picture: Jason Walls

The outback towns on the highway outside Gorrie Station are in a state of shock after beloved Territory cattleman Mike Harding was found dead following a horror chopper crash this week.

Mr Harding was found deceased at the site where his R22 helicopter went down 80km south of Mataranka on Saturday after he was last heard from less than 48 hours earlier.

Mataranka Store and Service Station owner and lifelong resident Judy Kutschki said the whole town was “shocked and saddened” by the 59-year-old’s loss.

“Everybody loved him around here so it’s a real sad occasion for Mataranka to have lost somebody so popular,” she said.

“He was always doing things for the community, he’d get involved with the school, with the Christmas tree parties, anything that was going on, Mike was always there, always out lending hand, he was a very generous gentleman.

“His wife worked in the school, teaching for lots of years and the kids loved her as well so he’ll be sadly missed.

“I think everybody’s feeling it.”

Karl Roth remembered a ‘good-natured, good-hearted’ gentleman who will be ‘really missed on the plateau’. Picture: Jason Walls

Many in the town who were closest to Mr Harding were still too distressed to speak publicly when the NT News visited this week but down the track in Larrimah, townsfolk remembered a “great Territorian” who was also “a bit of an entertainer”.

Resident of two decades Karl Roth said Mr Harding used to attend Larrimah’s community cricket matches, after which “he’d be up there with his guitar and his glass of rum, singing away all night”.

“His little red helicopter was always sort of flitting around the countryside, he’d go and check bores for people and check their fires, he was on call at very short notice,” he said.

“He was just a general gentleman, he’ll be really missed on the plateau, all the stations, and the town too.

“Just the sort of bloke he was, he was just helpful and good-natured, good-hearted and loved his family, especially his girls.”

Barry 'Cookie' Burke said Mr Harding was ‘always helping people out’. Picture: Jason Walls

Barry “Cookie” Burke said he also remembered Mr Harding from the good old days as someone who was “always helping people out”.

“Mike Harding and all the people around the stations around here used to come here to play cricket once a year and that was a bloody good day,” he said.

“After that, the kids and everything, they’d all go back over the pub, they’d have sandwiches and steaks and everything like that.

“The adults used to have a few beers and Mike Harding used to sing, he was a f—ing good singer too.”

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.