Ned Winter, co-founder of the Australian Camp Oven Festival, passed away at the age of 90.

Ned was an Australian bush poet, songwriter and storyteller who dedicated his life to outback Queensland.

As soon as he was old enough, Ned started droving. But it was during a volunteer stint at Jondaryan Woolshed that he discovered a new passion: camp oven cooking. There, Ned began baking damper in cast-iron camp ovens, a skill that he would later define his life, career and legacy.

His reputation as a bush cook really took off after he agreed to prepare a two-course meal for the 125th birthday of Bull’s Head Inn. Ned cooked for more than 70 guests using only cast-iron camp ovens, cementing his talent for camp oven cooking.

In 1990, Ned’s passion led him to open Ned’s Corner Roo Retreat on his Cecil Plains property, where he hosted and cooked for hundreds of visitors until its closure in the mid 2010s.

Ned also co-founded the Australian Camp Oven Festival alongside close friend and bush poet, Gary Fogarty. What began as a friendly competition between two mates quickly evolved into a celebrated community event.

The first festival was held in October 1999 and attracted a crowd of 800. But Ned’s vision for outback tourism and the community’s enthusiasm saw the festival grow rapidly. Today, the Australian Camp Oven Festival welcomes more than 9,000 visitors from across Australia to Millmerran, celebrating camp-oven cooking, music and community.

Ned Winter will be remembered not only as a poet or storyteller, but also for his outback tourism vision, which was way ahead of its time. His legacy lives on in the damper-baking, yarn-swapping festival that continues to bring people together.