Why Four Wheel Drivers get a BAD Name

Sorry I can't offer any information but it is evidence of a total lack of respect for our history and the hardships Len and his teams endured. I know it is relatively recent but Australian history just isn't valued as it should be. My experience with the various education systems around the country is between generations at present - my grandchildren are just starting their journey so it has been a few years since my kids went through it. The syllabus back then seemed to address the bushrangers, Burke and Wills, the gold rush and Jimmy Cook and little else. Perhaps if our young people understood more about our heritage there would be fewer drongos such as these to disregard it.
I hope this thread develops and is shared beyond EO - I have sent it on to my boys who are connected in 4WD circles.

Unfortunately, the 4WD fraternity comprises a relatively small percentage of mindless morons, who basically indulge in vandalism and mindless destruction, often fuelled by excessive quantities of booze.

These are the same people you see chopping up wooden structures or wooden posts to utilise as firewood for a major bonfire.
They are same people who leave broken bottles and rubbish everywhere, in the same area as they have camped or partied.

They are mindless vandals of the highest order, and they deserve to be found, identified, photographed and reported, wherever you see their mindless activity.

It would be even better if a "Hall of Shame" webpage was initiated, with these drongoes photos clearly identifying them - and pointing out they do not belong in the 4WD and outback adventuring fraternity - but are more likely to feel affinity with the mindless morons who graffiti trains. For all we know, they are probably already members of that group.

Cheers, Ron.

Hi Stephen I was on that road a few weeks back and I've got to admit that I was surprised that we didn't see as many markers as we had a few years back. I actually mentioned to my travelling mate that there should be markers along the road. Agree with you that there are some real low life's out there!

Also why must people deface plaques at various historic sites. We did the Hay River Track and at Madigan's camp 16 one of the plaque has had a sponsors name scratched out and other scratched in comments placed all over it.

cheers

Dunc

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Hi Stephen,

Thank you for relating this most recent event in missing Beadell plaques.
They are significant artefacts of our Australian history and it is shameful that there are persons with low morals who continually steal them.

Connie and Mick labour to maintain these plaques in tribute to Connie's father who left us his heritage of outback roads. Their efforts provide us travellers of Len's roads with tangible testimony of the hard work and privation of the "Gunbarrel Road Construction Party".

The full story of the plaques maintenance program can be read here on the Beadell website.
Connie and Mick deserve our full support of their efforts.
And the plaque thieves deserve our full condemnation.

If anyone visits one of these morons homes and happens to spot these 'trophies' on a mantlepiece of in a mancave it is your responsibility to dob them in.

Stephen, I see there is a post about facebook here but I will give it one thing, it is very good at relaying information to a wide range of people very quickly and Australia wide.

The people who steal plaques like this always have to show them off and pump their chest out, that may just be their undoing as mates and acquaintances pass information on.

Anyway I hope so, not that anything will happen to them.

That looks like the Lizard Bore entrance. We went past there on April 8th this year and noted the plaque and post had gone. We normally camp there but went on a bit further to the Telstra tower.
Cheers, Graham.

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I will say this................

I wouldn't want to be caught pinching a Beadell plaque if Connie and Mick came along.

Have you ever seen the size of Mick's fists? lol

How crazy! Did the idiot(s) even realize the plaque was a replica?!

Several days later, on the Gunbarrel Highway, I found that a plaque commemorating the Carnegie expedition is also missing. :(

Thx for posting the info from Connie and Mick.

This is just something we have to live with unfortunately, it drives me as mad as the next person, but we're fighting a losing battle against people as ignorant as this.

I think the plague in your photo Stephen is a replacement, so they stole a copy.

On the Madigan Line, I think it's Camp 11 where the plague is totally defaced.

It's not something I understand or am able to explain.