Balgo Hills Police Station

Uses

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Creation Date

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Ord River Station Homestead (fmr) & Cemetery

Child Places

• 03356 Ord River Cemetery
• 24393 Ord River Station Homestead (fmr)

Uses

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Creation Date

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Flora Valley Homestead - Original

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The buildings are of note as a fairly intact example of one of the early homestead's in the district and provide an insight into life during the pioneering period.

Physical Description

Built in the 1930's. The homestead comprises a group of four buildings and a water tank.

Integrity/Authenticity

Extent of Original Fabric: Much Modifications: Some

Condition

Poor

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Sawpit Gorge

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: Well known local recreation place. Aesthetic Value: The area has striking scenery and permanent water.

Physical Description

Sawpit Gorge is 52km from Halls Creek the gorge comprises swimming and fishing pools, the tranquil water surrounded by towering rock walls and sandy edges which were formed when the Black Elvire River forced its way through a rocky ridge.

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Godfreys Tank

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Halls Creek Trackers' Hut

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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China Wall

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Aesthetic/Social: The feature is a well known local landmark, it contrasts sharpy with the natural surrounding landforms.

Physical Description

The China Wall is a sub vertical quartz vein. The feature appears sporadically over 10km's giving the appearance of a miniature Great Wall of China.

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Old Halls Creek Cemetery

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social value: The site and the records associated with it provide an important insight into the lifestyle and the hardships of the early settlers. Aesthetic Value: The site is a local landmark and is one of th few isible remains of the old townsite.

Physical Description

The cemetary was used for buriels between 1895 amd 1976. The grounds are bordered by a low stone wall with raised stone entrances. Many of the original headstones remain intact and some of the graves have cast iron borders. Details of those buried there are kept at the Halls Creek Lodge.

Condition

Good

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Old Halls Creek Townsite

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The site is of considerable importance as one of the early places of settlement in the north west and for it's association with the Kimberley Gold Rush. Historic Value: The site is associated with the first finding of payable gold in WA.

Physical Description

The post office ruin is the only substantial building remnant. The only other traces are two remaining corners if the police station, the cemetary, some concrete floor slabs, stone drains and culverting and other minor stone/concrete remains.

History

The area was named after Charles Hall, who with his partner Slattery, confirmed the presence of payable gold in WA and initiated the Kimberly Gold Rush. The original townsite was abndoned and a new townsite gazetted in 1948 because frequent flooding meant that the airstrip some 10 miles away was at times inaccessible.

Condition

Remnants Only

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Halls Creek Quarantine Yard

Values

• The place demonstrates the importance of quarantine and disease management procedures to the pastoral industry in the Kimberley region, and Western Australia more generally, in the twentieth century.
• The place is a demonstrative example of the interaction and cooperation between stock owners and both Commonwealth and State government departments (Department of Agriculture and Food and earlier incarnations) and officials in combating the spread of cattle tick and other stock diseases and pests in northern Australia in the twentieth century.
• The place is one of a small number of checkpoints along the eastern border of Western Australia, established in the late twentieth century for the purposes of weed, pest and disease control. The decline in the use of facility in the 21st century demonstrates changes in livestock transportation routes and methods in Western Australia since Federation.

Statement of Significance

The place demonstrates the importance of quarantine and disease management procedures to the pastoral industry in the Kimberley region, and Western Australia more generally, in the twentieth century.; The place is a demonstrative example of the interaction and cooperation between stock owners and both Commonwealth and State government departments (Department of Agriculture and Food and earlier incarnations) and officials in combating the spread of cattle tick and other stock diseases and pests in northern Australia in the twentieth century; The place is one of a small number of checkpoints along the eastern border of Western Australia, established in the late twentieth century for the purposes of weed, pest and disease control. The decline in the use of facility in the 21st century demonstrates changes in livestock transportation routes and methods in Western Australia since Federation.

Physical Description

Halls Creek Quarantine Yards is located approximately 5kms south-east of Halls Creek townsite. The surrounding land is used predominantly for grazing or is unimproved scrub. The site was in use from 1972 to 2010 as an inspection and wash down facility for livestock and trucks for the purposes of weed, pest and disease control. The yards comprise a series of holding yards, each enclosed by fencing; a covered water dip in the south eastern corner of the yards; the concrete slab of the washing platform in the north east corner with two overgrown dams; a water tank and the remnants of a cattle haulage wagon. The site is vacant and has become overgrown. The two fenced dams are considerably overgrown and not immediately recognisable as dams, although the relationship to the truck washing area is still apparent. The concrete slabs have become overgrown with vegetation.

History

The land incorporating Halls Creek Quarantine Yards forms part of the Burks Park pastoral lease, which was leased to Samuel Thomas in 1968. A Department of Agriculture audit of Halls Creek Quarantine Yards indicates that the place was in operation as quarantine yards as early as 1972. A 1969 plan of the Burks Park pastoral lease indicates that stock pens were present in the area currently occupied by Halls Creek Quarantine Yards, although their exact location cannot be verified. Although it was clearly in use by the Department, the ownership of the leasehold changed ownership several times during the latter half of the twentieth century. Lot 202, Reserve 48535, encompassing Halls Creek Quarantine Yards, was not formally gazetted for use as quarantine yards until 2006. At the time of the 2010 audit of Halls Creek Quarantine Yards, it had the capacity to carry out stock inspections and decontamination of up to 400 head of stock. DAFWA Stock Inspectors were based at the Frank Wise Institute (Kununurra District Office) and commuted to the site as required. By 2010, it was noted that the yards were rarely used due to their remoteness and were the subject of regular vandalism. In 2011, it was noted in Question Time of the State Parliament that the Halls Creek Quarantine Yards had been recently closed awaiting an occupational health and safety assessment. Although Duncan Road was one of four entry points into Western Australia, in addition to the permanent checkpoints at Eucla and Kununurra, it was noted that level of traffic in the vicinity of Duncan Road, and Halls Creek Quarantine Yards at the time was not sufficient to justify a permanent road checkpoint in that location. By 2015, the inspection and wash down facility at Halls Creek Quarantine Yards was no longer operational due to ‘animal welfare issues and OS&H issues for DAFWA staff and contractors, transport operators and clients’.

Archaeology

Although the lack of development on the site indicates that archaeological deposits are likely to be relatively undisturbed, it is unlikely that there would be any useful archaeological artefacts or deposits relating to the quarantine use of the site that would contribute information regarding the place that is not already known or available.

Uses

Creation Date

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Halls Creek Memorial, Memorial Pk

Uses

Creation Date

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Halls Creek Police Station

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Red Hill Graveyard

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The site and the records associated wih it provide an important insight into the lifestyle and the hardships of the early settlers.

Physical Description

The cemetary was established after the town was moved from it's original location. The site was later found to be unsuitable due to the stony nature of the ground.

Condition

Good

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Lake Gregory and environs

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: Of interest to those with an interest in the unique animal life and vegetation. Historical Value: Important for it's association with prominent identities during the early period of settlement in WA. Scientific value: The Lake is of international significance for it's flora and faune.

Physical Description

Lake Gregory (formerly known as Gregory Salt Lake) lies at the lower end of Sturt Creek on Billiluna cattle station, south of Halls Creek in the Great Sandy Desert, WA. The land is leasehold and is held by the Aboriginal Lands Trust on behalf of the Mulan Aboriginal community. The land is also part of the Walmajarri and Jaru/Nyinin peoples' Tjurabalan Native Title Claim which has been registered by the National Native Title Tribunal. When full, Lake Gregory is the largest natural body of landlocked water in WA (approximately 50km long, 25km wide and up to 10m deep). The water is apparently quite fresh when it fills but becomes brackish or saline as the level recedes, though it is claimed to never dry completely. The lake is considered one of the State's natural history wonders. After heavy rain in the south-east Kimberley it becomes an inland sea which teams spectacularly with bird life, harbouring tens of thousands of ducks and other birds commonly found on inland freshwater, as well as sea birds.

History

Lake Gregory is also significant for it's association with early expeditions to the north of the state. First visited for plant collecting in 1856 by the North Australian Expedition under Augustus C Gregory, the party included noted botanist Dr Ferdinand JH (Von) Mueller. Also visited by Alred Cannning when he surveyed and estbalished the Canning Stock Route.

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Charles Perkins Hostel

Values

Charles Perkins Hostel is significant in being a former Australian Inland Mission Site established by Rev. John Flynn, a notable Australian medical pioneer of the Royal Flying Doctors Service.

Charles Perkins is a rare example of the change in the care of Aboriginal people since 1918, from mission hospital to education and employment hostel to group home and childcare facility.

Charles Perkins Hostel is a good representative example of the regional education and employment hostels the Department of Native Welfare established to accommodate Aboriginal children and adolescents in the 1960s and 1970s.

Charles Perkins Hostel, as an education and employment hostel, is representative of changing government policies of the assimilation of Aboriginal people.

Statement of Significance

Charles Perkins Hostel is significant in being a former Australian Inland Mission Site established by Rev. John Flynn, a notable Australian medical pioneer of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. It is a rare example of the change in the care of Aboriginal people since 1918, from mission hospital to education and employment hostel to group home and childcare facility. The place is a good representative example of the regional education and employment hostels the Department of Native Welfare established to accommodate Aboriginal children and adolescents in the 1960s and 1970s, and of changing government policies.

Physical Description

The original Charles Perkins Hostel comprised of three dormitory-style buildings of similar size located parallel to each other. Over its existence smaller cottage-style buildings were added to the property. In the 1990s and 2000s the original dormitory style buildings were slowly demolished and the cottages were extended.

History

Charles Perkins Hostel was located on the second site of the Halls Creek Mission (Australian Inland Mission), established by Rev. John Flynn. While the hospital continued under the control of the AIM, the larger mission site that surrounded it closed as a mission in 1960. By the mid-1960s it was known as Charles Perkins Hostel and operating under the Department of Native Welfare as an education and employment hostel. In 1971 Charles Perkins Hostel accommodated “90 boys and girls receiving primary level education in the town” alongside seven staff members. Attendance in the 1980s gradually declined with 55 children accommodated in 1982 and 30 children in 1983. By 1995, Charles Perkins Hostel was no longer considered an education and employment hostel and was more closely associated with “the care and protection programme area”. In 2000 the hostel was renamed Yurag-Man-Gu Taam-Purru Placement and Support Centre and later Yurag-Man-Taam-Purru Hostel in 2007. The front lot is still used as a group home, renamed Yurag-Man-Taam-Purru Group Home in 2013. The rear property, Ningkuwum-Ngamayuwu Halls Creek Children & Family Centre, provides child day-care and community and family services.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Roman Catholic Church

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The church has played an important role in the development of the community and as a venue for church and civil functions.

Physical Description

A modest gable roofed building with a low gable roof and a verandah over the front of the building. The building was originally located on Springvale property and was moved to it's present location in 1962. A new church, rplacing this building was opened in 1994.

Integrity/Authenticity

Extent of Original Fabric: Most Modifications: Few

Condition

Fair

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House, 43 Welman Rd, Halls Creek

Values

• The place represents the provision of rental housing by the State and Commonwealth governments after World War II.
• The place is indicative of the standard plan and type of housing constructed in the Northwest region by the State Government in the twentieth century.
• The place is associated with the provision of rental housing to Aboriginal tenants in the Northwest, and the ongoing and systemic discrimination against Aboriginal tenants, and State Housing Commission attempts to redress this imbalance, with varying degrees of success.
• The place forms part of a larger cluster of residences along Welman Road in the town of Halls Creek, constructed in the 1970s. The grouping of the residences around an open community area is characteristic of the construction of Aboriginal housing in the Northwest region of Western Australia in this period.

Statement of Significance

• The place represents the provision of rental housing by the State and Commonwealth governments after World War II. • The place is indicative of the standard plan and type of housing constructed in the Northwest region by the State Government in the twentieth-century. • The place is associated with the provision of rental housing to Aboriginal tenants in the Northwest, and the ongoing and systemic discrimination against Aboriginal tenants, and State Housing Commission attempts to redress this imbalance, with varying degrees of success. • The place forms part of a larger cluster of residences along Welman Road in the town of Halls Creek, constructed in the 1970s. The grouping of the residences around an open community area is characteristic of the construction of Aboriginal housing in the Northwest region of Western Australia in this period.

Physical Description

The building comprises a hallway, kitchen/dining, bathroom, laundry, three bedrooms, water closet and verandah. Limited information was provided regarding the layout of the building; however the majority of the interior fittings appear to be original. The building is in very poor condition, exhibiting termite and other damage. The exterior windows of the building are boarded over.

History

House, 43 Welman Road, Halls Creek was constructed in 1979. Welman Road is a meandering road that creates a circle of housing around a central open area, located west of the original centre of the townsite. The majority of buildings along the road are timber framed residences with corrugated iron roofing, constructed after 1970. The vast majority of residences in the vicinity of House, 43 Welman Road, Halls Creek are owned by the Housing Authority, including a number of newer buildings under construction in 2015. House, 43 Welman Road, Halls Creek is currently vacant and in poor condition.

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Bluey's House

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The place is of particular note for it's association with a prominent local identity, Bluey O'Maley.

Physical Description

The dwelling stands among the original mine site buildings. The site contains five buildings the remains if a gold plant, three dams and Bluey's house. Bluey built the house from local stone.

History

Bluey O'Malley was responsible for much of the stone work in the region, he was also instrumental in the construction of the road from Halls Creek to Wyndham.

Integrity/Authenticity

Extentof Original Fabric: Much Modificatons: Many

Condition

Fair

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Pavement Hill

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Old Halls Creek Post Office Ruins

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The remains of the building give an indication of the ingenuity of the original settlers in the district. Aesthetic Value: The structure is one of the few visible remains if the Old Halls Creek townsite. Historic Value: Of importance for it's association witht he establishment of the Royal Flying Docotr Service. Scientific Value: The building provides evidence of the use of vernacular building teechniques which relied on local knowledge and materials and were in part a response to the prevailing environmental conditions.

Physical Description

The ruins of a single storey mud brick construction. Only parts of the walls and fireplace remain. The creative use of local building materials such as termite mounds mixed with spinifex is for a civic building most unusual.

History

The Post Office is also of note for it's association with the estab;ishment of the Royal Flying Doctor Service after surgery was performed on a station hand by the postmaster. The case was used to highlight the lack of medical care in isolated areas of Australia.

Integrity/Authenticity

Extent of Original Fabric: Little

Condition

Poor- Remnants Only

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Statement of Significance

These ruins mark a historically important site in the original town of Halls Creek which was declared in 1894 and resulted from the discovery of gold by Hall & Slattery which led to the first payable gold field in Western Australia. The construction of ant bed blocks and the mortar used are of great interest and the setting on the banks of Halls Creek is attractive.

History

Assessment 1984 Construction: 1895 - 1900 Halls creek was named after Hall, who with his partner Slattery, discovered the first payable gold in Western Australia and the township grew up on the banks of the Creek. A formal plan of the town was drawn up and the townsite gazetted in 1894 and the Post office with quarters was built before the turn of the century. The old townsite was abandoned and a new townsite gazetted because frequent flooding meant that the airstrip some 10 miles away was at times inaccessible. The area around the old town is attractive with Halls Creek and a small tributary nearby. The condition of the ruins is deteriorating and attention is urgently needed. The old townsite is a tourist attraction and the local Shire is interested in its maintenance.

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Ord River Cemetery

Parent Place or Precinct

01174 Ord River Station Homestead (fmr) & Cemetery

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Social Value: The site and the records associated wih it provide an important insight into the lifestyle and the hardships of the early settlers.

Physical Description

Three headstones remain intact and other graves are visible. The small cemetary is bordered by a wire fence and is sited on a small rise overlooking the Ord River Station.

History

William Madden, died 22.5.1927.

Condition

Fair

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Ord River Station Homestead (fmr)

Parent Place or Precinct

01174 Ord River Station Homestead (fmr) & Cemetery

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

Historical Value: The homestead is of importance as it was the first station to be established in the East Kimberley. Aesthetic Value: A fine example of the local vernacular architecture built in respose tot he environment.

Physical Description

The place comprises an old stone homestead, constructed to suit the local environment. Built of local stone and whitewashed, the walls are shaded by wide verandahs which are supported by rough 'bush-poles'. The whole building is covered by a canopy of corrugated iron, in keeping with other structures in the district, since iron was easily transported, and was beneficial for its ability to form a large insulating volume of air.

History

The station was established in 1884 by Nat Buchanan, a pastoralist and explorer.

Condition

Poor

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Statement of Significance

It has worthy architectural and historical significance – suggested as an ideal centre for a Historical Museum of cattle country.

Physical Description

An old stone homestead “in a remarkably high state of preservation”. Nearby is a small graveyard in which lie some of the best known characters of their generation – Tudor, Shadforth, speared by blacks (sic) in 1890 to Norman Welman who dies in retirement in the last decade. Every grave in that little enclosure is someone whose memory deserves perpetuating. (Tom Ronan in “Walkabout” June 1968). The homestead is a fine example of the response to the environment. Built of local stone and whitewashed. The walls are shaded by wide verandahs which are supported by rough “bush poles”. The whole is covered by a canopy of corrugated iron, so appropriate for the district, since it is easily transported and will last a century and forms a large insulating volume of air.

History

Assessment 1973

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Wolf Creek Meteorite Crater

Values

Wolfe Creek Crater has great value to the scientific community, as demonstrated by the large number of scientific papers written about the area. (See Earth Impact Database for a list of these papers.) Wolfe Creek Crater is the second largest rimmed meteorite crater in the world; the largest crater with a discernible rim is Meteor Crater in Arizona. Wolfe Creek Crater is a spectacular and well-preserved landform that displays clearly all the classic features of a large meteorite impact crater. Wolfe Creek Crater has the potential to reveal details of the process of explosive meteorite impact. Wolfe Creek Crater is a geological site of worldwide importance. It is one of only eighteen structures of proven meteorite impact origin throughout the world that are associated with remnant meteorites and is the largest of five such craters in Australia. Analysis of meteorite remnants from Wolfe Creek has yielded two rare and previously undescribed nickel-containing minerals. The place is a major tourist attraction, and has achieved worldwide fame by lending its name to the title of a recent movie.

Physical Description

Wolfe Creek Crater is a natural feature formed when a meteorite hit Earth 300 000 years ago. It is a circular crater, approximately 850m across situated 90km south of Halls Creek, on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. The walls are up to 35m high and the crater floor is 50m below the rim. While walls are bare and stony, the flat floor is vegetated with acacia, melaleuca (myrtle) and grasses.

History

European immigrants did not identify the place until 1947, when, during an aerial survey of the area, geologist Frank Reeves found the crater while exploring for an oil company. Visiting the crater by land, he identified it as meteoritic in origin and published the first scientific article describing its features. A meteorite weighing more than 50 000 tonnes, travelling faster than a bullet (more than 12 km/sec), collided with the Earth, punching a hole and pulverising the rocks below the surface. Nearby rock melted, and shock waves blasted debris upwards and outwards in every direction. Wolfe Creek Crater exhibits a near circular, bowl-shaped depression, upturned strata, and a rim raised above the surrounding country. The presence of meteorites confirms the explosive impact origin of the crater. Dating of these remnants gives an age of 300 000 years. Most remnants are heavily weathered to iron oxides and now occur as rusty balls of iron-shale situated on the rim of the crater. These balls occur in clusters, weigh up to 250kg each and contain fragments and veins of iron-nickel metal and grains of the iron phosphide mineral schreibersite which occurs in many iron meteorites. Unweathered iron meteorite fragments have been found about 3.9km southwest of the crater, the largest weighing 72.6g. Wildlife characteristic of the arid environment, such as red kangaroos, Major Mitchell cockatoos and brown ringtail dragons, inhabit the place. The impact structure is well preserved and a striking landscape feature within a national park. There is evidence of erosion over the last 300 000 years and the crater has been partly filled and mantled with sand.

Uses

Historic Themes

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Statement of Significance

Aesthetic value: The formation is an importnat landmark in the region and of value to the tourism industry. Scientific Value: The crater is of world significance as a geologcal site.

Physical Description

Wolfe Creek Crater is a natural feature formed when a meteorite hit Earth 300 000 years ago. It is a circular crater, approximately 850m across situated 90km south of Halls Creek, on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. The walls are up to 35m high and the crater floor is 50m below the rim. While walls are bare and stony, the flat floor is vegetated with acacia, melaleuca (myrtle) and grasses. Originally the crater floor would have been up to 200m deep, but the bowl is now filled with sand and gypsum. The central area is pierced by a number of sink holes that probably reflect the position of stress fractures formed by the explosion in the bottom of the crater. Unusually large trees grow here, drawing on reserves of water trapped after summer rain. It is one of only three proven explosion craters in Western Australia and one of only 15 explosion craters world wide. It is the second largest such crater, after Meteor Crater , Arizona in the USA and is by far the most spectacular in Western Australia. Iron meteorite fragments have been found 3.9 km south west of the crater, the larges weighing 72.6 grams. The crater is significant for its rarity, its scientific value and its physical perfection.

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Bungle Bungle Range

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Statement of Significance

The places is significant on the following grounds: Social Value: The area is of growing interest to tourists from the region and other parts of the world. Aesthetic Value: The landscapes in the area are of outstanding scenic value. Scientific Value: The area is of international significance in terms of it's geology, landforms and for the unique ecosystems that exist here.

Physical Description

The Bungle Bungle massif is a structural plateau rising approximately 200m above the surrounding hills. The landscape is characyerised by sandstone towers with distinct orange and black banding. The area contains many rare and unique plant species. The area is also recognised for it's special significance to local Aboriginal groups. It forms the catchment for the ord River dam.

Condition

Good

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Warum Multi Function Police Facility

Uses

Creation Date

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Canning Stock Route

Child Places

• 04152 Forrest's Fort (ruin)
• 18750 Windich Spring Proposed Reserve

Values

The place has historical value as it played a significant role in the pastoral industry.

The place has social value as it is used today as a tourism site.

The place has significance as it is a physical reminder of the incredible difficulties encountered in droving stock through bush over long distances in the early 19th Century.

The place has associations with AW canning who surveyed the route.

The place is associated with the need to move stock using a tick free method.

Physical Description

The Canning Stock Route stretched between Wiluna and Halls Creek, a distance of approximately 1850 km. The wells along the route include bores, lined wells, and modified natural water sources. The route is reputed to be the longest stock route in the world. A number of the wells may still be in extant and in their form. A number of wells are known to have been modified.

History

An inland stock route was discussed in the 1890s as a way of transporting cattle inland and reducing possible contamination from tick-borne disease by avoiding in settled areas. A route was surveyed in 1906 by C W Canning and a seven man team, using camels to traverse the desert. After a 14 month survey Canning reported a route would be possible through a chain of 54 stock wells, placed approximately 20 miles apart. Despite a Royal Commission on Canning’s treatment of Aboriginal people during his survey, Canning was selected to lead the well sinking expedition, which commenced in March 1908. By April 1910, 48 wells had been completed over a distance of 1850 kilometres. Despite the initial success, the route fell into disuse. This has been linked to resistance by local Aboriginal groups along the route to the wells and stock drives. In 1928, another Royal Commission saw the repairs and re-opening of the wells in 1929. The last stock drive using the route is reputed to be 1958. In the 1970s, the route became used by tourists. The Aboriginal history of the route has also become more recognised in recent years.

Archaeology

To be confirmed - archaeological potential in a number of well and construction sites.

Integrity/Authenticity

To be confirmed

Condition

To be confirmed

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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Child Places

• 04152 Forrest's Fort (ruin)
• 18750 Windich Spring Proposed Reserve

Statement of Significance

The Canning Stock Route has high historic significance for its association with the pastoral industry of the East Kimberley and Surveyor, A.W. Canning.

Physical Description

Runs between Wiluna and Halls Creek, its historical significance of a 2,000km long stock route built in 1908-10, with forty-eight wells and two tanks constructed by over thirty men and led by Alfred W Canning, born and trained in Victoria and settling in Western Australia during his adult working life. The Canning Stock Route passes through three Western Australian deserts, the Little Sandy Desert, Great Sandy Desert and the Gibson Desert. There are 997 sand dunes to cross. It is a wilderness area with a very fragile ecosystem. The Canning Stock Route covers 1,867km. It is unique in that it is untainted by commercialism. The route is rich in Aboriginal heritage, communities live outside the temporary land reserve.

History

An inland stock route was first discussed in the early 1890s due to the cost and difficulty of transporting East Kimberley cattle which suffered from 'red water fever' a disease transmitted by ticks. These cattle had to be shipped south as they were not permitted to be driven through the disease free West Kimberley and Pilbara regions. When a total quarantine was placed on East Kimberley cattle in the early 1900s, prominent pastoralists of the region lobbied Parliament for an inland route, arguing that ticks would not survive the desert journey. Although previous explorers had strongly advised against the idea due to the lack of water and suitable feed, the proposal was supported by the Minister for Mines, H. Gregory, and the Government agreed to send out a survey party. In April 1906 A.W. Canning was appointed Surveyor-in-Charge and the following month a seven man team set off from Day Dawn with two ponies and 23 camels. On completion of the 14 month survey Canning reported to the Department of Lands that it would be possible to establish a stock route with fair feed and good water from 54 wells to be constructed some 20 miles apart. Canning was selected to lead the well-sinking expedition which commenced in April 1908. The stock route was last used by drovers in 1958.

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The Goat Paddock

Uses

Historic Themes

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