History of the Outback

Hi Wayne,

A great subject I must say!!!

You mention Len Beadell, great surveyor, however he was a relative late comer on the scene. You mention you want to travel the Sandy Blight Junction Road. Tietkens went right around Lake Macdonald in 1889 and has the maps and diaries to prove it!!! David Carnegie crossed the "Sir Frederick Range" in 1897 and called them "Low Stoney hills".

Check out this site: Gutenburg . Has a few good stories in there.

Check out this picture:
Image Could Not Be Found
This is the only know relic of Ludwig Leichhardt's 1848 expedition in existence. He disappeared en route from Brisbane to the Swan River and he and his party were never heard of again. This was found probably somewhere north east of Balgo, yet to be confirmed. He labelled most of his equipment with these plates yet this has been the only one found. He perhaps ended up near Christmas Creek in the lower Kimberley, maybe...Have a look!!!!

Cheers
Alan

G'day Wayne, another book which is a must read as far as I am concerned is "Kidman the forgotten king" by Jill Bowen.

Obviously all about Sidney Kidman and the building of his empire across a lot of Australia.

cheers

Dave

HI all,
Good old history where would we be without it?

Here's a quotation about history;

One of the deepest impulses in man is the impulse to record, - to scratch a drawing on a tusk or keep a diary, to collect sagas and heap cairns. This instinct as to the enduring value of the past is, one might say, the very basis of civilization.John Jay Chapman, Memories and Milestones


cheers
Phil

Hi Wayne

Yes Lens books are great and I have read them all from cover to cover a couple of times. The only trouble is that he was a modern day traveller and to get a better insight into what my dreams are made of, start building your Library of all the early true explorers that travelled our great nation.

The list of books that I have is always ever expanding, some small and some Big. As for the Simpson Desert, to get an insight of early exploration through that area, try and get hold of journals by explorers like David Lindsay, Lawrence Wells, Peter Egerton Warburton, Charles Winnecke, and then the later modern day Simpson explorers like Ted Colson and Cecil Madigan.

The list of early explorers is far more than many people would ever think, with some expeditions most people never knowing that they ever took place. One such expedition that is so very special to me personally was the Samuel Hubbe "Western Australian Stock Route Expedition" in 1895, in which my great grandfather was a member of the expedition. Their journey took them through many uncharted parts of Western Australia and they even were the first white people to travel through and name some great desert location.

Other great books to read also include Frank Hann, David Carnegie, William Tietkens and the list goes on. For me any outback trip is far more than just a drive, but knowing the hardships and tragic times that were suffer out there by men that set of to see what what out there in the great unknown.

The more you read, the great the appreciation of our outback and a better understand for you when you travel these remote places.


Keep reading.



Cheers

Stephen

Add "Kings in Grass Castles" to your must read list.

G'day Wayne, while not a history book as such, I'm sure you would enjoy..
"Hell West & Crooked" by Tom Cole. A true story of Tom's life as a rural adventurer
in northern Australia. cheers....oldbaz.

Hi

For the history buffs, I suggest you have a look at the web site for Hesperian Press.

Excellent range of books.

I have no affiliation but have purchased several of their books.

When you travel up the center take time to visit Woomera and visit the local council museum where you can watch Lens Video's for free as well as see much memorabilia from that time, plus there is also a rocket park to picnic in.

Hi Wayne
Having read all the other replies and reading suggestions, I noticed that nobody has made mention of Tom Kruse,the Birdsville Mailman, possibly one of the most famous outback pioneers.Many books have been written about him and also a film. The most well known publication is "Back of Beyond" google will tell you more. Would be one of my favorite reads !
cheers
Dough Boy

WayneB,

One of the most interesting books I have read is by Ernestine Hill and is titled "The Great Australian Loneliness". I don't know if you can still get it. I found an old dusty copy in a second hand book shop. It is a true story about a young English woman's journey around Australia in the 1930's. She wasn't a pioneer but she paints a picture of Australia that highlights the rugged and sometimes treacherous country of the times and the character of the people who lived then. It is a great read.

Another one is "Mr Stuart's Track" by John Bailey. There are many more.

Australia's short history has thrown up many heroic explorers, some of who perished but all contributed to the opening up of our great country. Many of us of an older vintage have grandparents who were pioneers who quietly followed the explorers and settled much of Australia's remote regions.

Researching the history of an area before I travel somewhere and being where they were is a very enjoyable part of travelling.

Regards,
Bob