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Author: Western Australia. Dept. of Lands and Surveys. Surveyor General
Year: 1958
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Author: Ride, W. D. L. (William David Lindsay), 1926-2011; Thomas, Athol, 1924-2012; Baynes, Alexander; White, Michael J. D., 1910-1983; Cleverly, William Harold, 1917-1997
Call no: FN200
Year: 1 - 10 Feb. 1967
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> 1st Feb 1967. (Wednesday)
Up at dawn, mosquitoes v. bad.
Sched. repeat of yesterday afternoons telegram. Left camp after one of the most tedious packs up I have ever done.
Warbo Rd., Back west for 1 mile to look for Alan Sch... lost mailie. Back at Minnie Creek turnoff, heading East. Signpost. Lost due to loss of hat.
Up at dawn, mosquitoes v. bad.
Sched. repeat of yesterday afternoons telegram. Left camp after one of the most tedious packs up I have ever done.
Warbo Rd., Back west for 1 mile to look for Alan Sch... lost mailie. Back at Minnie Creek turnoff, heading East. Signpost. Lost due to loss of hat.
Road comes round the corner of Lake Throssell, Bluff on the east side, about 8-10 ft till seems to be some sort of diatomaceous earth, no stratigraphy, no fossils.
no 13 signpost. Sandhills, lunch. Signpost. Many birds on left ? rockhole, Signpost. "freshwater limestone" outcropping in road. Flowers on roadside. Hunt Oil turnoff. Airstrip.
Sched very poor reception. Charlie calling us but in the end gave up "see you in the navy, see you in the morning..." Alex collected 2 Chalinolobus.
Breakaways - laterite : c. 10-15 ft in height., Rockhole away v. low (c.2-5 ft) breakaway on north of road - is this Gahnda ? on wrong side of road. Drove in to see if there is another rockhole in the south - certainly not as far as can be seen from the road - as outcrops. Back at Rockhole for camp. Athol and Alex set nets over the rockhole - a deep permanent hole. Poor shelter in vicinity but Athol examined it and says no deposits - scoured out. Blackened roof.
Sked taken next day:
(1) 31st Outpost Flying Doctor Kalgoorlie. All well, Margaret.
(2) Bill Clewley arrived back in Kalgoorlie all well.
Reply: RIDE PHONE PERTH 862242 ALL WELL MOBILE AFTER RAIN INFORM TERRELL TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS 8WHISKY NOVEMBER XRAY OUTPOST KALGOORLIE OTHERWISE DELAY MUCH LOVE DEE.
Athol caught a Chalinolobus gouldii female in net over water. [WR120] C. gouldii F. netted over water, night 1/2 Feb. A.M. Douglas, forearm 42.9 mm., fixed in formalin. Many budgerigars.
> 2nd Feb. 1967 (Thursday)
Sunrise earlier over here. 0700 Sched.
Left camp about 10.00 to try to get at the breakaway in the Rowe Hills south of Gahnda Rockhole. Creek crossing on main road, turned in across spinifex[?] bearing 128*, sighted drum on right c.100* al moistyated [?] find a seismic line on the same bearing and moved across into it, continued on it 2 m. to track junction turned to 47.30* for 2 m., then onto track bearing 126* which later tended northwards to 140* at 97.5 investigated[?] a low breakaway on northern side, signs of shales & sandstones at bottom, but extensively lateritized and the whole section aslituated[?] by it (about 10-12 ft.) dug a burrow under mulga roots - ? Dasyceras [?] but noone at home. Very poor animal country, rarely any scats in the breakaways - one that looks like a possum[?] scat.
Continued on bearing of 146* for 2.2 miles to due south bearing 165* across creek to crest where large breakaways in the vicinity of Sharpes Bluff visible to East. Turned a bearing of 94* for 2.2 miles to where we took 4 colour photos from west looking out on a bearing of 80 to Lake Baker. V. impressive 3 isolated mesas[?] on the left, a low one in the centre and a line of big breakaways on the right. Picked way down into the bottom where we stopped in Walga[?] at the foot of the Right Hand breakaway. Explored the breakaway & collected specimens. At the lower levels it seems to consist of shales & sandstones with sandstones but sandstones become increasingly common towards the top where the whole is capped by a hard silicious demicrust[?] about 12-15 ft thick.
About 8 ft below the demicrust bottom collected a wood cast (two pieces) and a ? caprolite, also a number of other things not determinable without sectioning, also collected typical specimens of various kinds of sediments.[colour]. On way back tried a new route to see if we could find an ... way to give Alex practice in driving and navigation. Drove west and reached our 02.1 position with a speedo reading of .... then back along same track for 2 m. and then onto track bearing 45* very rough track which crosses the Rowe Hills from the bottom of the median watershed (NW-SE) to the upper watershed which comes down to Lake Baker from Gahnda Rockhole.Very difficult driving across the octont[?] ridges of the hills for 6 miles to where turned into a track bearing 295* to where track turned R. at T junction to approx 15* crossed creek & then headed N.W. starting mulga to find road where it crosses the line of latitude outcrop at Gahnda. Blew tyre with stake. Changed wheel after some confusion because could not find wheel brace at first. Drove on around edge of mulga for abt 1 mile. Back at camp, .... joined road about 2000* sw of rockhole.
> 3 Feb 1967 (Friday)
Athol got another bat Nyctophilus geoffroyi female in the net over the Gahnda Rock Hole [WR121] wt 6.5 g., ... fixed in formalin.
Sched. 0700 hrs
(a) Inter[?] station memo sent to 8Whisky Tango to tell them that fuel at depo[?] consists of diesel 25 gals, petrol 4 gals. For Kevin to take it over, I will write to him from Perth. (
b) Telegram recd. from Perth via U.J.Q. TEDFORD NOT GOING MEEKATHARRA STOP WILL BE IN PERTH UNTIL 10TH PERHAPS 11TH AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU IF POSSIBLE STOP SIR THOMAS INFORMS YOU TIM HAS RESEARCH GRANT - TERRELL
(c) Telegram sent TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH MOVING TODAY VIA WARBURTON MISSION STOP CONGRATULATE SIR THOMAS - RIDE
(d) telegram sent TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH PLEASE CHECK MRS DOUGLAS HAS ADEQUATE FUNDS PRESCHOOL EXPENSES - DOUGLAS
Left Gahnda Rockhole for Sharpes Bluff, Turn off road on Hunt Oil Line 128* 3 miles, road ends at L junction bearing 47* 2 miles, turn into road bearing 126* becomes 146* 5 miles, bear north at corner 165*, 1.5 miles. Inerted white-tipped surveyors peg Turn off track on bearing 94* for 2-3 miles. Lip of valley between Sharpes Bluff breakaways and Lake Baker where photos taken yesterday. Walked down along vehicle tracks looking for Alex's exposure metre. No luck, collected some more fossils. A ? madible (broken into 4) and some plant-like structures. The latter is ..... in the very top surface of the breakaway, it is fairly clear that the fossils so far found in float are all from this top demicrusted sandstone. Across the valley it appears that this layer[?] has a large overburden on at least one mesa. Back at Rockhole after a look around for the meter - no luck. The trip back from the Sharpes Bluff took 55 mins. direct. Collected gecko under baggage. Left Gahnda Rockhole.
Low breakaways with laterized[?] shales, no good. Green Hillman abandoned on road, water in vehicle, suspect aboriginal party seen before, no number plates. Lunch at Sched.[C ]. Very hot indeed water balance gone to hell. Could hardly hold lunch. Got in some salt and managed to keep it. Was silly and took off shirt earlier in the morning after carrying fossil from Sharpes bluff & lost much water.
Collected grasshoppers. Broad creek low trees. Broad creek low trees. broad road coming away to north. Crossed creek.
Native Welfare Notice edge of Reserve : Poor notice - "must not enter". Would be better to have printed "enter and report".
Blacks Lookout. Warburton Mission. Finished up with about 10 gals. in tanker.
Information for Dick Hawthorn at Warburton Mission. Hunt Oil had a camp at Alexander Springs, thinks there was a road through to the Gunbarrel Highway. RACWA map gives road ring south for 50 m. W. of Turnoff Gunbarrel Highway / Warburton-Giles Rd. We saw the bottom end of this 27 miles before Warbo. - (map gives it as 35).
Distance to Carnegie in RAC map 322 miles.
Call sign 8 ROMEO BRAVO. 5360.
Changed Sched 6.45 weekdays, 7.15 Saturday, 8.55 Sunday, Give positions
1300 hrs every day you are feeding on 6825 and transmitting on 5260. Alexander Springs 265255 Gowalys[?] sheet. Telephone nos. in case we need information re Hunt Oil turnoff to Alexander Springs.
Lord 865795, Geol. Survey 285061, WAPET 233941.
Dorothy Hawthorn got us a cup of tea. She is obviously overworked in the heat. So we went out and fueled up. Dick [Hawthorn] has a fossil Ostrea from somewhere around - low not known, also our chalk balls should be looked at by someone.
Elder Creek is a glorious sight. Great trees all over the place reminds me of the Oakover in places. Country starts to improve as the Mission is approached[?] , v. great contrast to the country between it and Cosmo. Managed to take in all 44 gals. Dick lent us a 121/2 gal drum which we have just behind the Kaywoo[?] spread[?]. I estimate we are carrying approx. 50 gals plus. Left mission, camped in mulga.
> 4 Feb. 1967 (Saturday)
A strong wind from the east, going to be hot. Sched: Heard 8ROMEO BRAVO tell Charlie that he had annoyed a private Sched, Charlie paid compliment saying that he knew me and had no worries.
Sent telegram : USQ TIM MEAGHER PERTH TELEPHONE 611122 DELIGHTED YOUR NEWS ANTICIPATE SUCCESS RIDE.
Packed up and got away at 09.30. Stopped and took photos of .....[?] [C3328/9] Sandhill country with triodia, mallee, mulga, bluebush, al grevillea & callitris. Michael White v. pleased to have a new sp. of morabine[?] on the grevillea, took photos[C3330-35].
Turnoff along Gunbarrel Highway, signpost Carnegie 282 m., Warburton 40, Giles 175, (Kulgera 580). Surveyed Astrofix S 25* 42'27" E.126"39'47
L. Beadell 16/8/1958 [C3335-6]. Recoalmed[?] the post, new kodachrome in camera, 34.-[C3401] View down Gunbarrel towards Carnegie: Travertine outcrops in the road but no exposures anywhere else, spec. collected. Todd Range : a line of laterite breakaways, good morabines collected but no fossils. Lay road extending North to the horizon [C3402] photo taken eastwards along highway, investigated road to south, it gave up at back of highway. A hundred yards further on find a small metal tag Rockhole 100*. These proved to be 3 excellent rockholes( (?) on the surface of an exposed outcrop. Collected fora from them, no tortoises Preserved in formalin [C2403,4]. Cairn on Mt. Samuel, a wonderful view across to the south, can see Sutherland Range on the horizon. A road moves around the base of Mt. Sutherland and goes south at a bearing of 185*S. A road turning off at 178*, turned down it and camped at 2841.3 Ref. south of neck 388798. A hot night, v. windy with strong winds with variable directions., Kept me awake.
> 5 Feb (Sunday)
Calculated petrol consumption on the following basis: Consumption up to Minnie Creek, 445.5 m. + 1 jerrycan. Consumption Minnie Creek to Warbo 386.5 m. + 2 jerrycans excluding the move quantities the mpg works out to 13 and 12.5 mpg. Distance from turnoff to Carnegie Homestead = 211.2 miles and on a basis of 13mpg with spare can = 16.6 gals in 4 cans + 1 reserve. At present we have 6 jerrycans + 1/2 tank +12 gals. ie we have approx 20 gals to play with ie 260 miles. Decided that it is unlikely that the Hunt Oil people would have gone west from the road through the breakaway country between it and Alexander Springs and that seems more likely to have cut SW from Mt. Beadell and Decter Airfield.
Listened to Western Australian ABC news /"Third Network" excellent reception. Sched to 8ROMEO BRAVO nothing for VJQ, reception v. poor to JJQ no RV with Athol who was filling water canteens at Mt Samuel rockholes. Camels[?] in chain of lakes crossing the road, suspect that this is the system which flows SW past Sutherland Ra. ie Lake Breeden, Royd Lagoon, Lake Gillen [C3405-10].
Just out of lake system travertine exposed in road, collected specs. , a brown conglomerate exposed in road, collected specs., Quartzite exposed in road, collected specs. Alex collected 2 Amphibolus, sandhills. Sandhill country E of Thryptomene Hill, caught morabines. Survey post concrete [?] with bronze plug. Surveys ^ . Track leading off in about 110* into sandhills.
Notabilis Hill, NH. F. 19. Y junction with left fork being 220*, took left fork. Rt fork appears to be the Gunbarrel. Helicopter pad wuth three roads coming out of it: 1. 336* 2. 218* 3. Approx. 100*. Turns to 267* for 6 miles, [small turnoff to south did not take], Breakaways to north, turn to 238* for 3 miles, turns south 179* for 11 miles to crossroads where we turned right at 278* (We investigated construction but this became a mere surveyors line so we returned to the crossroads at) drove along road for 10 miles which started at 278* and became 265* (for purposes of plotting, I assumed that 5 miles was done at 278* and 5 at 265*). We refuelled the Land Rover so that we now had a completely full vehicle with a potential of some 420-450 miles. Crossroads at 350*, straight over. Flooded creekflats incredible number of frogs & tadpoles. Collected and took photos of Michael & Alex fishing[C3412-15], [B&W 1-3]. New road to left (crossroads) at 195*. This should take us straight to Sutherland Ra. which is now approx 15 m. to the south of us. Ran along flooded creek flats with travertine exposed in road to a valley with a flood across the road. Frogs calling, tracks everywhere. Dog, fox, large macropod, v. small macropod (on its own), probable bandicoot and numerous other tracks. Some rain on the way in and heavy showers from lunchtime onwards. Dodged around the floods but diesel could not get across the first big dune decided to camp for night on top of dune to south of flooded flats.
Miles travelled since morning = 183.5 m. Miles travelled on Gunbarrel 50.5 distance for Gunbarrel turnoff to Carnegie = 177.2 m. ... to Warbo = 127.8 but distance given on signpost of 282m. distance to Carnegie Homestead =197.3 m. Must send telegrams tomorrow:
To 8 ROMEO BRAVO. POSITION APPROX 18 MILES FROM ALEXANDER SPRINGS WILL MOVE BACK TO GUNBARREL AND ON TO CARNEGIE TODAY. TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH> LEAVING VICINITY ALEXANDER SPRINGS FOR CARNEGIE TODAY RIDE.
KEY CORSEARCH CANBERRA VICINITY ALEXANDER SPRINGS TODAY STOP ARRIVING MELBOURNE FEBRUARY 17 WITH MANY LIVING MORABINES HOPE YOU CAN VISIT MELBOURNE SOON AFTER TO INSPECT THEM - MICHAEL WHITE
> 6th Feb Monday
Decide to christen this place Athol's Lagoon. BROOME SHEET. Photo of camp[C3416-20] collected male Amphibolus in good breeding condition. Packed up and got through on Sched. Sent all telegrams and asked Charlie if we had any news of a road out of Alexander Spring to the N.W. He agreed to ring Geol. Survey to ask them & we arranged a Sched at 0930 on 6825 kc. Alex checked the frogs collected yesterday all O K. Athol & Michael to stay put - we will try to reach Sutherland Range. Left camp at 0850 hrs. [Sandhill] country, fine rock exposed - [pitches] for the last couple of miles [C3421]. Sched 0930 hrs. Got through v. well. The telephone number Dick gave me for Geol. Survey was wrong so had to stand by while checked new number. Drove on down track to 35.2 and turned right at crossroads as bearing 267* to 36.2 where we were on top of the range. Range here seems to consist of quartzite and sandstone[?] with sidiulls[?] right up in the depression. Probably O.K. if we could get to the southern side but this would take days. Charlie came up on Sched and said no roads to the S.W. all to the N.E. Hut Oil says previously 1-2 m. in W. of Alexander Spring ad 30 m N.Graded road to N.E. in 1964. Sutherland Range turned back [C3422,3,4], collected green [?] at 12.00 hrs.
Back at camp at Athol's Lagoon, packed up and crossed lagoon to join others. 13.50 left lagoon, 15.50 at Gunbarrel Hwy. Route out perfectly clear and easy in our tracks. V. hot and tired day. Cloud building.
Tadpoles (but later evidently destroyed). Mt. Beadell, sediments, the top part seems to be something like spangolite collected greens. n the top there seems to be a conglomerate but I expect that this an old B[?]horizon and chemically fired. Saw euro - shot and seemingly[?] wounded but got up and away in mulga. Saw mice crossing road. Stopped and camped. This place is a spinifex plain with a very few stunted bushes & dead workwoods[?]. Surveyors peg (cement with bronze), Northern Territory Surveys.
Alex had a field day : collected Pseudochis when he was walking around, then shot Notomys alexis f., then ran one down alive I was too tired to take any effective part in the proceedings beyond helping Athol set traps.Notomys alexis f. [WR122] collected A. Baynes shot in spinifex plain 5 m. NW of Mt. Beadell, preserved in formalin. Notomys aexis [WR163] kept alive will try to send down to Perth. Photo taken of locality[C3425, 26] all with shotgun cant in. Telegrams for Sched next day:
1. WHITE>PHONE 859033 MELBOURNE. BETWEEN WARBURTON MISSION AND CARNEGIE STOP CONFIRM RETURNING FEBRUARY 17 LOVE MICHAEL.
2. DOUGLAS PHONE 491175 PERTH -ARRIVING HOME LATE SUNDAY EARLY MONDAY LOVE ATHOL
3. PETER RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH HAPPY BIRTHDAY STOP WE WILL HAVE PARTY WHEN I GET BACK LOVE DAD.
> 7 Feb. 1967 (Tuesday)
10.30 hrs left camp after preping all specs taken previous night. Very sticky but strong wind and low clouds - showers of rain. Large main road joins from East. Mt. Everard & Mt.Gordon. Athol had climbed to top of Mt E - he got there first & waited for us. Structure same as Mt Beadell. Airstrip at 62.8. Surveyors trig where road turns SW. NM/F/23. Became deeply bogged with diesel, petrol got across we then soybombed[?] the diesel out. Mungilli Claypan filled with water [C3427,8,9] also examined exposures to south of road[C3430] tracks of camels[?]. The problem of these small exposures is a difficult one. All the way from Mt. Beadell, whever they occur i.e. Mt. Everard, and small breakaways to Mt. William Lambert they have each one exposure i.e. a very light "spangolite"-like material capped by what is probably the same thing but much more silicious. Camped in sandhills with threatening clouds and strong wind. Drizzle during the early part of the evening. Tried burning spinifex and walking around but no tracks or anything in the spinifex. Alex took bearing back up hill aong track of road which winds[?] slightly 33*.
> 8 Feb. 1967 (Wednesday)
Up at 4.45 Decided to get on immediately in the hope of getting to Carnegie before the rain makes it impossible. Stopped for Sched and breakfast. Not in traffic list but sent telegram:
TERRELL CARR MUSEUM PERTH -M POSITION 35MILES EAST CARNEGIE HOMESTEAD STOP HOPE REACH VICINITY WILUNA TONIGHT - RIDE
Drew up route in the Sutherland Range for the map board. [Sketch]
Windmill on left, first cattle., gate, Carnegie Homestead, Gordo & Mrs Brown, left in charge while Linke's on holiday. Found petrol and diesel and fuelled up approx 20-22 gals into each vehicle. Browns gave us v. good steak. Lake. Rounded hill of exposures with siltstones & clays with intrusted[?] tips which have eroded off to form heaps of shale like material. No fossils seen. Collected from Hill north of lake about 180* n. of road from horizon[?] half way up.[C3431] [sketch] Exposures in bed of creek s. of road [Sketch]. Chased red kangaroos for Alex to photograph. Stopped for Sched to VSQ, not in traffic list. Turned over to 4010 to listen to the Meeka traffic list. Meanwhile Michael caught one of the species of morabine which he had come to the West for. Got through to VVS at around then ("Thelma") but I could be listening to the traffic list 7am & 400[?] pw daily. Fence line with gate. Creek crossing.
Wongawoll Homestead - noone at home. Back at homestead after .... track. Small concrete survey post. Gate in fence line : two gates took right. Left road to chase kangaroo. Small concrete survey post. Stopped to brew up on flat N. of well marked creek with large eucalypts. Alex went off with gun to see if he could get a couple of ducks. Got out wireless aerial to see if possible to get weather forecast, v. threatening getting dark early.
Athol and Michael arrived in yellow peril. They must have moved. Amazing incident with an aerosol container with insect repellent. Went off in dark and sprayed Athol's face. Decided to go on because of threat of rain and creek to cross. No sign of Alex. Ultimately after tooting and lights he turned up. The creek is Wongawol Creek at Kepeltin Spring. Creek impossible at road but found way across in the dark to the E of road. Yard across the creek, found road after casting around in the dark and rain. Turn off ? Windidda. Turn off. Found reasonable camp in mulga. V. tired, brewed up and got to bed with as little delay as possible. Alex had to be awakened to have his meal. Even Athol is tired. Rain stopped. Steak for tea v. good.
> 9 Feb. 1967 (Thursday)
Camp in mulga, left 08.30. Sched but no good. Reception excellent on 4010 band but VK3 could not hear. will try later. Telegrams :
TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH.ARRANGE HELEN COLLECT NOTOMYS SENDING FROM MEEKATHARRA TODAY AIR. RIDE.
FRY PHONE 746415 PERTH SENDING NOTOMYS POSSIBLY ALEXIS AIR MEEKATHARRA TODAY CONTACT HELEN. DAVID
Michael & Athol left during Sched to get on with collecting.VKJ procedure not easy to break into.She calls all the stations in turn whether they have traffic or not. Caught up with "yellow peril"and swapped passengers so that I could have a talk with Mildred.
Stopped on road and collected 2 spp of morabines - 1 a new species with a bifid sub-anal plate and the other one of the Virgo sp. group. This is probably the :Meeka - species". Got through on Sched and passed telegrams at 11.30. Meekatharra. Had lunch and refuelled the vehicles. Alex & Athol got the Notomys off to Helen by air. Paid for lunch $2. Alex & self left Michael and Athol in Meeka to get off the morabines and we pressed on to Magnet and Yalgoo. Telephoned Margaret & told her to expect us night of 10th between 5.30 & 6.30. Tried to get through to Broads at Mellenbye - no answer. Amphibolurus barbatus on road. Alex collected. Cue. Lake Austin full of water, ripples of wind, a nice sight, road open but only just.
Mt Magnet. Filled up. Telephoned Mellenbye, roads not home : in Perth for fortnight. Had meal. Decided to drive on to Barnong in the dark to look at the exposures. Bought fruit. Yalgoo in dark. Barnong Stn. turned off dam fence line to Mooloo well. Shot 2 rabbits, spotlight, Alex with gun seated on spare wheel. Bedded down in usual campsite. Mosquitoes very bad. Sound of a little waterfall - unusual !
> 10th Feb. 1967 Friday
Examined exposures, v. interesting, a high floodline up to the very top of the bank - well marked line of refuse[?] along the sandy sloping bank on the W. side of the Ederga. All exposures swept clean & v. easy to examine. Walked down from there[?] to Crocodile side of the greenstone bars to the fenceline where it crosses the creek. River flowing quite strongly. About 4-6" deep over the sandbanks, about as silt as the sea. Atherines of various sizes swimming. Lots of signs of Varanus and Amphibolurus swimming around. The exposures downstream are v. interesting. I get the impression that the whole is much more complex than we originally thought. There seems to be a very old conglomerate overlying the greenstone and, moreover, there also seems to be a sedimentation level above the present B horizon. Does this mean that the B horizon is an early soil which has since been planed off and then added to ? [sketch]. Stopped to refuel. Perenjori, lunch. 61 mile peg south of Bindoon, many termite mounds 1/2 mile N. of tins[?]. 18.15 hrs. HOME.
List of people : Cosmo Newberry - Claude Cotterill
Warburton Mission - Sam Mollenhauer
Secretary UAM Perth K. R. Morgan
Margaret Daleman owner and administrator Windidda, Carnegie & Wongawol
Mr. D. Keer, manager Windidda Stn
Mr W A Brosnan, Manager Wangawol Stn.
Mr. R. Linke Manager Carnegie Stn.
Mr. A. John Carlisle - Meteorite collector
Bill Clewley, Kalgoorlie School of Mines, 79 Ward St.
Hodson, T.
Ross Ryan 162 Boulder Rd.
Tony Davis Warburton Ra. Mission
Dick Hawthorn Warburton Mission
Mick Sawyer Warburton Mission
3 p. of details.
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Author: Ride, W. D. L. (William David Lindsay), 1926-2011; Douglas, Athol M., 1915-2006; Baynes, Alexander; White, Michael J. D., 1910-1983; Storr, G. M. (Glen Milton), 1921-1990; Cleverly, William Harold, 1917-1997
Call no: FN200
Year: 23 - 30 Jan 1967
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Glen Storr's route-card to Warburton Mission. Laverton,
Glen Storrs Route-card : Laverton to Warburton Mission. Laverton
Beria (abandoned mine) turn rt for Cosmo Newbery Cosmo Newbery Mission,
Mill,
Blackboys near bend to rt.,
Glen Storrs Route-card : Laverton to Warburton Mission. Laverton
Beria (abandoned mine) turn rt for Cosmo Newbery Cosmo Newbery Mission,
Mill,
Blackboys near bend to rt.,
Bend to left, track to rt goes to "Mt Shenton" outstation, has mill.
Minnie Creek turnoff, sharp right.
Peagull Rock to rt.,
Beginning of Lake Throssell,
Native Well, 1 mile to left, good track to it
End of Lake Throssell.
Peg 101 to N. "200" to south (Native drawings of diverse animals)
Terhan Rock hole
native stone on left hand side of road,
peg P.B.145,
Surveyors' tripod in scrubby interdune,
petrol dump at Hunt oil turnoff (our drum is on left hand side of road immediately past turnoff), road to right runs generally east along 27th parallel.
"Muggon" rock hole(recte Narratha),
Manunda Rock hole & PB 1777,
Gahnda Rock hole PB197 (recte Ganba),
Windalda Rock hole & PB 210,
Hunt oil airstrip 331 - Rawlinna turnoff to rt.,Macrodeus
Turnoff to left to Hunt oil camp.
Beginning of Aboriginal Reserve, Warburton Range Mission.
Glen Storr's Route card : Warburton Ra. - Carnegie. Warburton Ra
Taking left hand from (Giles Rd) Elder Creek
Turn left for Carnegie ( 287 m) straight ahead to Giles signpost.
Todd Range ( a line of breakaways with caves)
Top of Baker Range, Mt Samuel Trig to left, then curving descent of breakaways, rabbits here on 24/7/63.
Signpost BMR/SP.
Bloodwood with aluminium plate inscribed "100 miles from Warburton Range, 224 miles from Carnegie".
Northeast end of Lake Breaden
Lone desert oak
BMR water bore on gum flat
trig (Notabilis hill) on top of laterite rise
Old camp BMR
Mt Beedell ( an impressive red and white breakaway
Decker airstrip.
Ascent of Browne Range
Sharp bend left in pass between Mts Everard and Gordon
Gary Highway to rt.(to Windy corner, Kidson camp abd Well 35).
Big bend to SW at trig (1498')
Concrete peg 82/34, 3 petrol drums. Our old camp (25/7/63) 107 m. E of Carnegie.
Mungilli claypan to rt.
Mt William Lambert to rt. (a trig in breakaway)
Mt Nossiter (a breakaway in Fame Range.
Concrete peg 82/46 petrol drums
Blazed desert oak (now dead)
Carnegie.
[Sketch] Butler's Directions to Macrodeus colony at Galah.
> 23 Jan 1967
6 Florence Rd., Nedlands 0710 hrs., 171/2 gals - filled tank & 2 jerricans
Granite quarry E. of Kellerberrin where I collected bone previously, crusty aggregate for new railway line (135 mile peg). Morning coffee 32c.
9 gals to fill.
Merredin lunch 65c.
Southern Cross 5 1/2 gals to fill. Road closed but just open, removed to have had 600pts from Cyclone "Elsie". Very wet all over the road. Lake with plenty of water.
Kalgoorlie 81/2 gals to fill. Very cold & raining since Coolgardie. Railway washed out in several places. Tea $1.00. Rain now said to be between 700-800 points.
Called on Bill & Mrs Cleveley had tea and then on to Gill and Nanette Ralph, 35 Ward St.. Invited to stay the night . Road open to Leonora but not clear of sit beyond. Reminded that Gill Ralph never advised about the Echidna he sent.
Had long talk to Ralph and Hobson about the British Aims. Well see the ABC reps for them to do something to build up public interest. They are very interested and grateful for the loan of the State Battery [?] model for the Kalgoorlie Community Fair in March.
Arranged to meet Ralph (now Sec. of Imar[?]) and Hobson (now chairman) next day. To bed 12.15 Alex gone earlier with splitting head.
> 24th Jan 1967
0930 hrs up to see Prideau at R.F.D. Base, Alma still there. Two messages from Perth
(1) from Bob Tewell telling us that the aerial photos of Sharde (?) will be up to the R.F.D. base today -- Gave this to Athol to deal with.
(2) for John Bannister asking him to ring him at the Museum 15m. delay to Museum. Message re John's application for job. Wants to know collection he ought to go to London (?) for an interview at the Zoo.
Scheds between 7 and 8.
Did interview for Goldfields magazine for broadcast at 8.00 pm on Wed. 1st Feb. 69F, [6kg is 248]
[Now SF 6.45 and 2.45 am, 6pm, 7pm. (local & weather at 6.45]
Lunch for two (Alex & Self) $1.19, Drinks $7.15. Filled up Rover with all jerricans, 17 gals. Left Herman[?] St. 13.05 hrs.
Qulpit dead on road, good dark face.
Fox crossing road
Leonora 9 gals Road closed but garage man advised Ok for L. Rover. Drove on through much water on Laverton Rd to little hill above swampy plain.
Camp.
Collected frogs & 2 geckoes. The darker of the two geckoes was caught on a rush at the water's edge. The other running on the ground at a fire.
Collected a few artifacts. Frogs calling and spaces in the water. Seem to be a bat 8spp. Helioparus like moo ; a high trilling and a clicking quack.
Beria (abandoned mine) turn rt for Cosmo Newbery,
Cosmo Newbery Mission, Mill, Blackboys near bend to rt., Bend to left, Track to rt goes to "Mt Shelton" outstation, has Mill. Minnie Creek turnoff sharp right, Peagull Rock to rt., beginning of Lake Throssell, Native well 1 mile to left, good track to it, End of Lake Throssell. Peg 101 to N. "200" to south (Native drawings of diverse animals). Terhan Rock Hole, Native Stone on left hand side of road, Peg P.O. 145, surveyors tripod in scrubby intrude. Petrol dump at Hunt oil turnoff (our drum is on left hand side of road immediately past turnoff), road to right runs generally east along 27th parallel. "Muggun" rock hole (recte Narratha) Manunda Rock Hole & P.B. 1777. Gahnda Rock Hole & P.B. 197 (recte Ganba), Windalda Rock Hole & P.B. 210. Hunt oil airstrip 331 - Rawlinna turnoff to rt. Turnoff to left to Hunt oil camp, beginning of Aboriginal Reserve, Warburton Range Mission.
Glen Storr's Route Card : Warburton Ra. - Carnegie.
Warburton Ra., Taking left hand from (Giles Rd.). Elder Creek. Turn left for Carnegie (287 m.) Straight ahead to Giles - signpost. Todd Range (a line of breakaways with caves). Top of Baker Range, Mt. Samuel trig to left, then curving descent of breakaways. Rabbits here on 24/7/63. Signpost BMR/SP. Bloodwood with aluminium plate inscribed "100 miles from Warburton Range, 224 miles from Carnegie". Northeast end of Lake Breadon, lone desert oak, BMR water bore on gum flat. trig (Notabilis Hill) on top of laterite rise. Old camp BMR. Mt. Beadell ( an impressive red and white breakaway). Decker airstrip. Ascent of Broome Range, sharp bend left in pass between Mts Everard and Gordon. Gary Highway to rt. (to Windy Corner, Kidson"s Camp abd Well 35). Big bend to SW at trig(1498'). Concrete peg 82/34, 3 petrol drums. Our old camp (25/7/63) 107m. east of Carnegie. Mungilli Claypan to rt. Mt William Lambert to rt. ( a trig on breakaway), Mt Nossiter (a breakaway in Fame Ra.), concrete peg 82/46 petrol drums, blazed desert oak (now dead), Carnegie.
Sketch : Butler's directions to Macrodena[?] colony at Gandah.
> 23 Jan 1967
Leaves Nedlands
Granite quarry E of Kellerberrin where I collected bone previously, crushing aggregate for new railway line, Merredin, Southern Cross, road closed but just open, rumoured to have had 600 pts from cyclone "Elsie", very wet all over the road, lake with plenty of water. Kalgoorlie very cold & raining since Coolgardie. Railway washed out in several places, rain now said to be700-800 points. Called on Bill & Mrs Clewley had tea, then on to Gill and Nanette Ralph 35 Ward St., invited to stay the night. Road open to Leonora but not clear of sit. beyond. Reminded that Gill Ralph never advised about the Echidna he sent. had long talk to Ralph and Hobson about the British Aims[?]. We'll see the ABC reps for them to do something to build up public interest. They are very interested and grateful for the loan of the State Battery[?] model for the Kalgoorlie County Fair in March. Arranged to meet Ralph (now Sec. of Mines[?]) and Hobson (now chairman) next day. To bed 12.15 Alex gone earlier with splitting head.
> 24th Jan 1967
9.30 up to see Prideaux at R.F.D. base. Alna[?] still there. Two messages from Perth (1) from Bob Tewell telling us that the Aerial photos Gharde[?] area will be up to the R.F.D. base today - Gave this to Athol to deal with. (2) for John Banister asking him to ring him at the Museum. 15 Min delay to Museum, message re John's application for job. Wants to know whether he ought to go for an interview at the zoo. Scheds between 7 and 8. Did interview for Goldfields Magazine for broadcast at 8 pm on Wed.1st Feb. 69F [6kg is 248]. [News SF 6.45 a 7.45 am, 6pm 7pm (local & weather at 6.45 pm].
Lunch, filled up Rover, left Hannan St 13.05. Quilpit dead on road, good dark face. Fox crossing road.
Leonora. Road closed but garage advised OK for L. Rover. Drove on though much water on Laverton Rd. to little hill above swampy plain. Camp. Collected frogs and 2 geckoes. The darker[?] of the 2 geckoes was caught in a rush at the water's edge, the other running on the ground at a fire. Collected a few artifacts. Frogs calling and spairs in the water seems to be about 8 spp. Helioporus-like moo, sheep-like higher filled baa; a deep glomp ; a high trilling ; and a clicking quack.
> 25th Jan. 1967
05.30 a nice morning, cloudy with a clear sunrise and sun in patches. Bellbirds calling, some yellow-eyed Areantheja[?] oterione very still. Breakfast without distinction - Athol's choice of tins very unimaginative. Fox tracks. Listened to Scheds on 5360. Charlie Prideaux very loud but somewhat staticy. Ruth Swan[?] on8WOY very clear, did not come up, no messages for us being called. Did frogs & geckoes. Off at 09.15.
28 m. E of Leonora. Minora Homestead. Mt Morgans, Mt Margaret turnoff. Laverton, seems pretty dead, very little life, a few natives sitting around in the main street otherwise little life. Bought supplies & a new billy, photo of main street of Laverton[C3301]. Spinifex begins, spinifex in sand (2) Cylindoleus[?] ran across road, dug out of burrow[?]. Another species running in road, shot. Spinifex flat, shot Sypheronaplus[?], dug out Amphibolus, Baynes hit Egenia with spade. Cosmo boss gone to Melbourne. Stopped lunch in an Acacia patch, stony ground with red clay soil. B. shot a Sytheromorphs[?]. Fist[?] fixed clere[?]. Lovely woodland to south with white barked gums, saw ALytornis singing in spinifex. Blackboys[C3302], Blackboys & mallee[C3303], white backed magpie, Moloch[?] in roads, listened to 3.45 Sched on 5360 KC in case anything for Athol, message that Athol to leave Kalgoorlie at 5pm tonight and Bill Clewley will bring Michael White in when he comes. Reception v. good, straight through immediately. Reached Dons[?] at turnoff, turned back to put in number for Bill Clewley and Athol. Marker No 1, Marker no. 2, Marker No. 3. back at drums & turn off to Yamarna. Drove down track to well before homestead. This well is set in the "headwaters"- a soil flat - of Minnie Creek. Great Eucalypts altogether a most unexpected sight. The water seems to be about 20 ft down . Unfortunately not enough line for us but Athol may provide when he arrives. Eagles in the trees and a Brown Hawk's nest with bird sitting. Some fine drizzle & plenty of signs of previous rain. The country all round here is plentiful mallee with Acacia in poor stony ground. Went out spotlighting. Rabbits in warrens in sandy ground, back at turnoff met 2 chaps from Warbo's on their way through to Kalgoorlie. Went on back to camp. Continued on down to Yamarna homestead but did not go far enough in the dark - turned in at 12.15. General impressions in spotlighting : Red kangaroos plentiful, some half to 3/4 grown joey but no small joeys at heel. Rabbits fairly plentiful with 3/4 grown kittens. Confined entirely to the sandy soil in ridges where there is no spinifex.
> 26 Jan 1967 Thursday
Camp at well 8.4 m. Sth of Turn off. Homestead (abandoned). This is in poor condition and with a couple of days work could be made quite good enough for a party to work from. Drove back along Minnie Creek towards camp. Stopped to look at exposures. These seem to be largely a red sandstone (ie grit - mundayin[?] cement) with coarse inclusions of quartz, quartzite and schist. t is not very thick and in places the quartzite and schist which underlie it come up to the surface. The surface hereabouts is very instralting[?]. Scrubby mulga going on very poor clay soil with plentiful gibbers of quartzite, ironstone and white quartz. The schist-like material appears to be a working product of the quartzite which has numerous bands of silica. Alex shot an Amphibolus.
Walked system. Photos[C3304, 05] of exposure on NE bank showing the grit overlaying the schist. Specimens of schist taken with grit. same appearance as at Ederga R. with the fine sediment in the top breaking up into blocklike pieces. [Sketch of layers of rock], Section of photo[C304-5]. Ewings of Yamarna passed through and asked us to a cup of tea. Left camp to go to Salvation Well via Thatchers Soak. Old Yamarna Homestead, turned west onto track beyond Thatchers Soak. Cairn on right, track joins from East. 3.45 Scheds. Exposure over to N of track, looks like kaolin. Telegram from Bob Savage asking me to look in the valley of the Sutherland Range - what a hope ! Bob Clewley also got message re Michael White. Went over to exposure in sandhill, a patch of schist with quartz blao. v. prominent but no good for fossils, took 2 photos [C3306-7]. Collected numbers of lizards in spinifex sand, one leyo v. dark ? emo. whissed. Back at rd., track junction at ?Thatchers Soak, took left fork. ran over snake, Athol collected it Purendectis[?]. Thatcher Soak, a shallow stone would soak sheets covering. The range is bare with granite exposed all over surface. Still on same track but no track to S.E., turn back to look for track. Back at soak. Drove back to camp rather than try a new track in the dark. Put meal on and then drove down to the new Yamarna homestead to see the boys to tell them why we did not come in. 9 miles out got bogged in road and worked until 10.00. Gave up and walked back. 5 miles later (11.15) Alex arrived & picked us up. Back to camp ate meal - v. tired.
> 27th Jan 1967 (Friday)
Up for news & Sched. reception good, further rain coming in from Pt Hedland, 12 ins. Sched sent telegram to Savage:
SAVAGE CARE GEOLOGY BRISTOL. GOT MESSAGE SUTHERLAND RANGE WILL TRY RIDE and TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH DOUGLAS ARRIVED YESTERDAY STOP CLEVERLEY WILL BRING OUT WHITE STOP ALL OK INFORM MARGARET ALL MESSAGES RIDE.
0950 hrs left camp after a thorough clear up. For old landrover (bogged) Yamarna instead at Dorothy Hills. Pulled out landrover photos[C3308-10]. Alex collected a few lizards between camp and this point. New Yamarna homestead, had talk with Ewings and Anne -wife. 3 children[C3313,4].
Transferred to Athol's landrover, turn pt at fenceline (ie SE), turn NE away from fence, turn off track towards breakaways bearing 65*, reached base of breakaway. Sketch of breakaway. Walked out a mile or so of breakaway, v. hot and humid, cumulonimbus building up to east, thunder, Sched impossible owing to static. The section is complex, will come back tomorrow to collect specs. at the lower levels there seem to be sandstones and shales with a pronoed[?] dip: the lower mesas are then capped by a very remarkable conglomerate of marble sized to walnut sized milky quartz. This extends laterally into crossbedded shales which is then (in the higher mesas) overlain by sandstones which are laterized at the top. It seems to me that there is a marked discontinuity between the conglomerate -shale horizon and the lower sandstones. If the lower is Cretaceous is the upper Tertiary ? Light poor photos tomorrow. There would be 80-100 ft of exposures. Started back with thunder increasing and, unfortunately, Alex got bogged just before we got to the road, Then it started to rain. Kevin Ewings drove out to get a kangaroo and saw me in trouble. We had to leave the petrol rover and went on into the the homestead. Rain very heavy. In the darkness the rain really came down and the whole country started to flood. The water level was about 5-6 ins between 9 and 9.30 - the wet was about 3 ins. Ewings is worried about the house obviously in a bad place. Tankstand started to go but stopped it by part emptying it. Fortunately he has no stock yet. All the vehicles are getting bogged down in their standings. Ewings v. kind and asked us to stay. They have very little food but said that we could "use them up" for as long as we liked. They used to be V.A.M.
> 28th Jan 1967 (Sat.)
A look at the situation, is not pouring, no rain gauge but at least 2 inches have fallen in the night. Will try to get through on Sched to Charlie on the Yamarna wireless:8WHISKY NOVEMBERXRAY is sitting in the petrol landrover 2 miles from the homestead. Will try to pass telegrams through YAMARNA8WHISKYWHISKYTANGO - KEVINEWINGS
1. CLEVERLEY SCHOOL OF MINES KALGOORLIE WASHED OUT BY TWO INCHES RAIN YOU CANNOT REACH US NOR CAN WE GET BACK TO OUR CAMP FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS STOP HOLD WHITE KALGOORLIE UNTIL I GIVE OK RIDE
2. TERRELLCAREMUSEUM PERTH
WASHED OUT WILL REMAIN YAMARNA HOMESTEAD UNTIL MOVEMENT POSSIBLE HAVE ASKED PROFESSOR WHITE REMAIN KALGOORLIE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE RIDE
Did not succeed, but Kevin Ewings got through a message to say we were flooded out and to tell Bill Cleveley not to come. Como only had 20 points while Windos[?] are completely flooded out and airstrip. for 48 hrs. Kalgoorlie had a little rain. Walked over to the petrol land rover with extra bog boards for tomorrow when we try to get it up. Athol left at 6.45 am. to walk up to the camp, he will look after the kit, could not dissuade him, best to let him go. I told him to stay there until we get there.
Meteorite ? near Point Nasland. Heard to fall in daylight in 1960-61 by Alan Lovick (at present in Saudi Arabia, Hut Oil) and Harry Lupton. Harry Lupton was in a tank at the time and felt the vibration, Natives also heard a noise at Cosmo. Lovich searched for it but without success.
Kangaroos. Marloo, Euros, Goolbit (Waigai name in Kalgoorlie) [Imigabrudda(Waigai name for Euro)] Goolbit - only seen in pairs probably passing through.Short tracks in Marloo - very long track in Goolbit ["not like a kangaroo track at all"]
Spent morning at vehicle & tried to walk over to collect specs and take photos but got into awful trouble in boggy stretch before the [gravel out wishes ]with saltbush. Gave up the attempt at 12.00 and got back to L.Rover about 12,30. Carried back kit box, aerial photos etc to homestead. Spent afternoon collecting lizards with Alex, the dogs and children (Stephen and Terry (Girl). V. successful, collected 3 good scorpions as well.
> 29th Jan 1967
Sunday. Went out to vehicle Sched 0920. VJQ - 8WHISKY NOVEMBER XRAY telegram:
CLEVERLEY SCHOOL OF MINES KALGOORLIE. UNDERSTAND WARBORTON RD OPEN IF PROFESSOR WILLING TO RISK WALK TO CAMP FROM TURNOFF ATHOL THERE RIDE
2. TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH WASHED OUT BY TWO INCHES WILL STAY YAMARNA HOMESTEAD UNTIL MOVEMENT POSSIBLE PERHAPS TWO DAYS.
No need to send telegram. No delivery until Tuesday. Bill clearly left Kalgoorlie early this morning with Michael White will try to get through. Walked back to homestead and then went out with Kevin Ewings to a suspected meteorite crater along the SW-NE leg of the paddock. Certainly looks like, we marked the position on the fence line with a bag and walked back to homestead collecting a few lizards on the way including a Varanus gouldii. Afternoon walked out to S.W.B. land Rover in the bog with extra bog boards and spent afternoon jacking up and getting out to the road. Alex helped for the first part, & then when I decided that we would not get up to the camp that night walked back to the homestead to tell them. Kevin came over and helped and between us we got the vehicle out to the road. At night tried to get a lizard[?] with a spotlight but without success. In conversation Kevin said that he had seen brush wallaby shot at Lake King. A long way to the East for irma. He says not common there.
> 30th Jan 1967.
700 walked out to vehicle, discovered public holiday Sched not until 9.00. Left creek N. of homestead. Reached Michael White and Bill Cleverley about a mile N of homestead, their Holden was bogged - unbogged it and got bogged ourselves. Got through to VJQ and told them that Bill Cleverley and Michael White had reached our camp. On the way up we met Athol at . He had walked up to camp the day before. Been there when Michael White arrived and then left to meet us early in the morning to advise against trying to cross the creek flats between the Salvation[?] creek and the old homestead. We made a detour round there without trouble and the rest of the way was clear.2136 Left camp. Crossed rd. - new rd. Neale Junction Rd, corner with drums inWarbo Rd., Neale Junction Rd, turnoff Warbo Rd. Cosmo Newberry Mission, got stores, also stores for Kevin & Anne, to tell them that the potatoes & the onions[?] are in short supply. Also cleaned the barrel of the gun with curtain [?] rod with the help of Tom Murray (1/2 caste in charge). Left mission. Cosmo Hills and windmill, junction of Old Warbo Rd where it goes down to Mt Shenton. V. gouldii v. common on road. New awt[?] (ie Neale Junction Rd.) off Warbo Rd., turned down it, junction the Minnie Creek Rd., back up it to pick up Bog Boards. Back in camp.
Went out shooting after dark for meat. A. shot 3 kangaroos, Reds, AMD208, male, immature, kept skull ; AMD209,female, mature AMD210,female, immature. Baynes also shot 2 rabbits, males, plentiful in isolated weipes[?] in guerny[?] ridges.
Butted down out under the Kangaroo Tree - or at least near it. Thr story of the tree according to Kevin Ewings is that the Waigai say that in the Dreaming, a kangaroo travelled from near Ayers Rock to the Warburton Ranges where he stole a woman and came south west. The pursuers caught up with them at Minnie Creek and speared him there, where he became the great gum tree on the flat immediately opposite our camp. I asked Tom Murray, the half-caste at Cosmo about the story but he only said that he believed that there was some such story but did not volunteer any further information.
Tomorrow will send telegram: Terrell care Museum Perth : Professor White joined party moving to Lake Baker Wednesday, Ride.
Scorpions everywhere.
Mr & Mrs K. Ewings
Yamarna Stn.
P.O. Laverton, W.A.
> 31st Jan. 1967 (Tuesday)
Up at 5.30 a lovely dawn, the Kangaroo tree looks wonderful in the rising sun.
Sched at 7.00, got telegram off to tell that the Landrover could be got out.
I saw a mob of about 14 camels of which Athol and I shot 3, beautiful animals - a pity to shoot them but Kevin has asked us to because of his fences. Refuelled at which point all tanks and cans empty except 5 gals. in reserve. This isc[?] location represents the safe range of the vehicle i.e. 2301-1 - 1855.6 = 445.5 + 5 gallons. Back at camp packed up the kit for all day down at Yamarna Homestead. Intention to get Bill Cleverley to (?) meteorite crater and to get the diesel Landrover.
Left camp. Road in good condition as far as the boggy place. Some minor troubles getting Bill's Holden across the bogs. Bill thinks meteorite crater a possibility but no success in digging - "difficult to see what else it could be". Athol says mallee fowl's nest. Collected book, males & females of a new horabine[?] with Michael White. V. nice lunch with the Ewings.
ced. 345pm
Telegram for V.J.Q. Ex Brisbane To D. Ride. Returning Perth
> Wed. 1st Feb.
Elle.
This is for Elle Fry to say that now O.K. to send emails to her. Called old homestead & collected portable disblower. Athol collected crickets in old well, notebook (mine) fell in but recovered by him. He is a
Got back to camp to find that Athol had given our kangaroo (eating) to the Ewings with those shot for them.So tins tonight after attempts by Athol and Alex to shoot a rabbit. Mosquitos bad - turn in at 21.45. Alex refuelled the Landrover at approx 2360.
more...
Author: Ride, W. D. L. (William David Lindsay), 1926-2011; Douglas, Athol M., 1915-2006; Savage, R. J. G.; Butler, Harry (William Henry), 1930-2015; Kinnimont, David; Western Mining Corporation; Hunt Oil Company
Call no: FN203
Year: 1 - 7 Aug 1967
Archives
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> 1st August 1967 (Tuesday)
0630 Bitterly cold 28*, went down to 26*. Athol went round traps - all animals in breakbacks frozen stiff as though they had been in an ice tray. 2 Notomys alone survived in cage trays. 9 Mus musculus, 2 leggadina - all dead (5 Mus & 1 Leggadina discarded) WR nos. 179-183.
0630 Bitterly cold 28*, went down to 26*. Athol went round traps - all animals in breakbacks frozen stiff as though they had been in an ice tray. 2 Notomys alone survived in cage trays. 9 Mus musculus, 2 leggadina - all dead (5 Mus & 1 Leggadina discarded) WR nos. 179-183.
0715 Spencer from SmithWhite came up to say that he could not find microscope lamp - told him to look in microscope box. He is 70 m. E of Blackstone in Cavanagh Ranges.
SCHED. 7.30 1. Telegram fr Perth. 13 words 4.22 yesterday
RIDE 8WNX KALGOORLIE SUNFLOWER SEEDS SENT TO WARBURTON MISSION VIA WESTERN MINING AIRCRAFT TERRELL.
Arranged SCHEDS
(i) with Ruth & Eric Swan 8 W.O.Y. at 0710
(ii) with Harry Butler at 0715 8WFS.
Telegrams sent .
1. DOUGLAS PHONE 491175 PERTH BRUCE COLLECT YELLOW BOX MUSEUM STOP UNPACK STOP NOTIFY PAT POSSIBLY STAY FULL TRIP LOVE : ATHOL
2. PROFESSOR WHITE CARE GENETICS MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY MELBOURNE UNABLE TO FIND MORABINES YAMARNA OR LAKE BAKER STOP WHERE DO THEY GO EVERY NIGHT : DAVID RIDE.
1(1Aug cont.)
[WR 179] Mus musculus f. Creek bed in spinifex near Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D. 1/8/67.
[WR180] Mus musculus m. creek bed in spinifex near Sharpe's Bluff Coll. A.M.D.
[WR181] Mus musculus, creek bed in spinifex near Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D.
[WR183] Leggadina hermansbergensis, creek bed in spinifex near Sharpe's Bluff Coll. A.M.D. [WR182] Mus musculus. Creek bed in spinifex near Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR184 - 185] Notomys both kept alive and sent to Perth. Collected in cage traps baited universal bait and oatmeal. Spinifex and sandy slope near Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D.
Left camp at 09.10 drove down to the cutline nearest camp which bears 169*.
Cutline goes off at 320* ed down over hill onto major direction of 217*, crosses per creek (presumably at 387668, Turn left into 117*, cross over cutline on 32* (suspect this is the cutline which we have used over last few days to take usdown to the peninsula in square 4067).
Cross another cutline in a bearing of 60*. This goes up over the hills at the southern end of the lake & is marked with a metal post and tag no. 3/152 - possibly Hunt Oil.) Cutline ends with a rt. angle turn towards the South-West. No good to us. Back to 3/152. Take 60* cutline at 3/152. Reach creek over a sand dune. The creek flows into the lakes and to presumably 408666, time 12.10. Collected artifacts which had blown out of the dune where we stopped. Climbed down & saw island about 2 m. north across the lake with good exposures. Decided to walk. Little time because we would have to leave by 14.15 if we are to get back before dark. Crossing down to lake shore find Australite in on ones with flake tools on side of dune. Walked across to island, about 2 miles, took little over 1/4 hour walking across the crusty surface of the lake. Pleasantly warm in the sun - saw a couple of willie-willies in the distance. It would be a fierce place in summer. I have only seen it then from the top of Sharpe's Bluff with great willies tearing across its surface in the glowing[?] heat. Exposures on the island of about 20 ft., all gypsum crystals and evaporate [?] mud. Obviously the mainland basin [?] is a truncated bit of this overlain by sand dunes. No sign of australites. No fossils - only root tubes in the sand. Walked back. Collected another larger australite from the dune with the artifacts. This one is not chipped.
Back to vehicle. Had a bite of lunch at 14.10 hrs at turnoff down the road back. Turned right into cutline, stopped for Sched. 3 telegrams.
1. Melb., Vic. 12 w. 12.35 Ride 8WNX
IF PRESENT MORABINES SHOULD BE ON LOW ACACIA SHRUBS : MICHAEL.
2. Perth 15w 10.40 A. Douglas Museum Party. 8WNX
I RECEIVED CHEQUES THANKS ALL WELL LOTS OF LOVE : MOLLIE
3. Perth 15w.10.40 Ride 8WNX
FLOWERS JOY ALL TICKETS SOLD PENNY HAS SON LETTER WITH SEED LOVE MARGARET.
By interruption caused by station trying to get advice for Dr. who was in aeroplane on how to remove kangaroo tick. Advice hot needle (to neck, to tick, or stick into tick ?) - reply torch tick, then apply antiseptic ointment follow with penicillin 6 hourly - Suspect that this treatment wont work & will hear more of it. Sent 2 telegrams:
1. MR & MRS BANNISTER PHONE 284411 PERTH.
SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS DELIGHTED YOUR WONDERFUL NEWS : DAVID.
2. PROFESSOR CALLAWAY UNIVERSITY WA CRAWLEY HAVE JUST HEARD SEATS BOOKED OUT STOP PLEASE CONGRATULATE ALL PERFORMERS AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO SAINT COLUMBA COLLEGE APPEAL STOP AM SURE THAT SUCCESSFUL CONCERT WILL FOLLOW STOP WISH I COULD HEAR IT STOP WOULD LISTEN TO EACH INSTRUMENT IN LAST ITEM WITH PARTICULAR APPRECIATION STOP PLEASE ALSO ACCEPT THANKS YOURSELF REGARDS RIDE.
Went to drive on and find we had a staked tyre. Changed it. Reached our old cutline 32*, turned down it in order to find that out here across Sharpe's Buff is on own cleared track. Reached camp just before dark. Decided to leave here for Warbo tomorrow. After Athol & I finished our meaning[?]. He dug out a couple of burrows during the day. He also prepared a Notymus shell [?] for Jack Mackey[?] which I will send off from Warbo. Yesterday Bob removed section of Sharpe's Bluff. Must get more properly fixed in this feature. [Sketch showing layers of sediments ]. went to bed at 23.20 hrs. Cold. Spent rest of time on Notomys.
> 2nd Aug (Wednesday)
Sched 0730 hrs. Sent telegram to organizer of Crent Gueal[?]
C.P. Bird. Phone 33884 Perth
PLEASE GIVE ALL LADIES MY THANKS FOR SUCCESS RIDE.
Spoke to Dick Husthem[?] and told him that we would be over during the day and informed tht we had recd his message about the tyre. Harry Butler reports that he has Judmide[?] but nothing else so far. Spent morning cleaning up and getting packed. 12.15 had lunch. Saw Athol off first. Left camp at 12.45 hrs for Galimba and Warburton Mission. Arrived Galimba 13.55 hrs. Tank showing empty. Filled up both vehicles since last fill & 1 hour of charging & used 7 gals. Picked up 3 full drums of petrol, piping it up into empty drums placed in the centre aisle of the lab. Athol set off gingerly for the Hunt Oil turnoff. Missed Hunt Oil turnoff which, according to Dick Husthem is marked by an airstrip which crosses the road. This should be a few miles before road bearing North & then West to ? Sutherland Range now.
Reserve sign. Stub (Photographed) [C3721]. Arrived Warburton Mission. Athol and I had meal with Husthem and 2 mission visitors Bob sent to Western Mining for the accomodation[?]. Arrived at Western Mining Office, stayed night , met Bob Hewlett (geologist in charge), a crew-cropped Victorian, Les (his offsider - assays).
> 3rd August (Thursday)
7.30 Sched. Telegram sent TERRELL PHONE 384411
PERTH AT WESTERN MINING CAMP WARBURTON NO TYRE NO SCREED STOP WORKING AREA LIGHTNING ROCKS. RIDE
Having talked it over with Bob Hewlett last night he said that they had located an area of travertine[?] among the pre-cambrian over near Lightning Rock. Bob Savage and he looked at it on the photomosaic[?] and it looked like a possible small sedimentary basin. Decided to go over for a few days. Bob & I saw another fossil - a metamorphosed schist. Went and had lunch with David Kinnimont Native Welfare Mrs Kinnimont. She is interested in mammals. Mrs Kinnimont gave me a Notomys which she had bought from an old man for a stick of tobacco (20c.) last night, it had died during the night [WR186] Notomys. Athol purchased 5 Notomys (for $1 each - a greatly inflated price) alive at the native camp [WRS187-191] : hermed[?] later on 5th Aug., rest at end of next book. Decided to hire Johnson Lane, a Wongai man at $7.75 per diem to come out to Lightning Rock. Left Warburton Camp at 1458 hrs for Lightning Rock. End of rearee[?]. Out of petrol in tank, refilled with 1 jerrican. Athol stopped vehicle just before Lightning Rock ("Lightning Rocks close up here")and ran down a Notomys [WR192]. Arrived Lightning Rock, made camp in the dark. Athol and I put out 60 shewners[?], setting down at 10" intervals for the camp site. Low sand-wind grass and spinifex occasional scattered trees, mostly acacias. To bed at 11.30.
> 4th August 1967 (Friday)
Lightning RocksUp at 6.00. Cronough[?] R.V. clear to the east across the plain. Sched at 7.00 to Harry Butler - very poor reception. He is olc and has Leggadina, Notomys and Tadarida[?]. Spoke to Kevin Ewings at Yamarna, told him to use our spare drum and give us credit. Spoke to Spencer South White[?]. Sam McKay[?] had broken his leg and had to be flown out from Wingelina yesterday. They are now at the junction of the Giles & Sandy Blight Junction roads.
SCHED at 07.30 Telegram from Terrell to Ride 8WNX
TYRE SENT HAWTHORN OF WARBURTON MISSION AT LEONORA ON 26TH JULY STOP SUNFLOWER SEED SENT VIA WESTERN MINING KALGOORLIE 31ST JULY AND TO WARBURTON VIA THEIR CHARTER PLANE ON AUGUST 2ND STOP TYRE AND TUBE LOCATED LEONORA STATION TERRELL
replied TERRELL PHONE 284411 PERTH -
THANKS WESTERN MINING SEARCHING STOP PROBABLY REROUTE TYRE RAWLINNA HOLD LEONORA UNTIL INSTRUCTED STOP INFORM ME REGARDING SACRED STORE WARBURTON AREA : RIDE.
Had breakfast and a very bad spasm of toothache, took Boscopan but it laid me out until 10:00 when I went over to Bilbring rock to see paintings found by Job. Johnson had already told us that there were waterholes in the rock. Photographed paintings [C37122-5] Sketch. Also took colour photos of Cavenagh Ra. to east , towards north west. To south and to Lightning Rocks across our camp [C3726-30].MUST INFORM LANDS AND SURVEY LIGHTNING ROCK NOW ON OTHER SIDE (i.e. NORTH) OF ROAD. Traps this morning had a Notomys [WR193], a Leggadina [WR194]. On the way back from rocks Athol fell in a mouse in the cup [WR195] Mus musculus.
Left camp to look for T....te[?] exposure bedore the Cavenagh Range which should be six miles from here. In valley between red dunes W of Cavenagh Range collected quail thrush at Athol's request. In low acacia silicate [?] and calcrete [?] outcropping. Numerous tracks of what seems to be a very small..iepod[?]. Photos 1.[C3131] of Bob at exposure 2. [C7732] of general view of Acacia[?] for Quail thrush habitat. Bob collected Cinclusoma specimens. Stopped took photos of Cavenagh Range esl & small plant in the dune to serve as background for ....l[?] [C34-36]. Back at camp. Johnson had found 2 dead mice mummified [WR5196-7] went out with Johnson in afternoon and looked at tracks.
Dangawal(ah) or Wulwul - Notys
Mingay = mouse
Wynde = possum (sounds very like Wylde) still extant in big trees.
Wylburdee *= at night eats carrion. long nose & tail
Ninoo = digs holes in thicket country = M. lagotis
Wanoo = rock wallaby
Maalaa = holes like rabbit. finished now. Wallaby = B. lesmeuri
Marloo = red
Killigidee, Tonigabadoo = emu
Goolbit - Cosmo, Warburton etc not his place but on the Rawlinna Road plenty Cundeelee
It looks as though Wulil Wulil is not Antechinery's at all as John Kinsela thought. Must check with Mrs Kinnimont and "that feller John in Western Mining Camp."
The travertine exposures are a dead loss. There are nodular calcrete structures which seem to be fixed within the dunes - they may later be silicified to form nodular siliciates and even given a fenicrete surface. No fossils here. Bob collected specimens which illustrate all stages including a secondary stage in the calcite function which results in a superficial over blace[?] to comglomerates. One of the Notys Athol kept has a broken leg, killed it [WR187]. Back at camp at 9.30. Shot a pigeon for the pot at sundown.
* John Cam suspects this is Myrmicodia.
> 5th August (Saturday)
Up at 6.45, a cold night 28*- pyjamas split up the back so I couldnt get warm. Still feel better. 7.30 Sched. Telegram from Terrell etc in reply RIDER 8WNX 26words
TWO HUTS DESPATCHED BY DNW BY RAIL IN JUNE ERECTION OF SAME PENDING ARRIVAL OF PROJECT OFFICER IN APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS STOP MEASHER STOP ADVISE ARCHER REMAINS HERE BEGINS SORTING IDENTIFYING IMMEDIATELY MERRILEES BAYNES.
Walked up the hill with Johnson and got a somewhat unsatisfactory interpretation of the paintings. He says that they were done a long time ago. The white ochre comes from over near Wimbourne Hill and the red from all about here. Athol had considerable success : 2 Notymus, 1 Leggadina, 1 Antechinus macdowellensis : Notymus [WR187], [WR188], Antechinus macdowellensis [WR199], [WR200], [WR201], [WR202], [WR202], [WR203], [WR204], [WR205] Leggadina, [WR206] Notomys. Left Lightning Rocks for Warburton Western Mining camp. Giles Tank took photographs of inscriptions "Sir John Forrest 15:8:74[C3805], "Giles Tank" D.C. Cable 21:8:1930 (sandlewood cutter of Laverton) whose inscription so nearby seems to have been responsible for them. View of the watchhole "tank" [C3806]. View across the Cavenagh Ra. from the tank [C3807]. Run out of petrol i.e. 1 complete jerrican used since 97.7 i.e. 63 miles about all in 4wheel drive i.e. 17 m.p.g. Caught Mus musculus in light of spotlight [WR no number, discarded]. Drove back to Western Mining camp in dark. Had meal with Les who told me that the Macrotis which had been the pet of John Carr of Western Mining had escaped. Turned in at 10 pm, very tired indeed.
> 6 August (Sunday)
After breakfast had Sched to try to talk to Ruth Swan[?] to get her postal address, arranged for 2pm. Drove over to talk to David Kinnimont. Paid $30.95 for hire of Johnson Lane, $5.00 for Sacred ornament, $1.60 for 8 Notamys (1 dead - discarded). Position with stoves for Sacred Bonds is that half of each stone is to go here and the other half at Leonora. They will be brought up by the Mission & there will be a bill for cartage. David Kinninmont will forward this through DNW. Kinninmont will be away until 21st of August and can be expected to stay at Warbo for 6 weeks. Ceremonies are about to start when people come from Musgrave Park and and will last about a fortnight. Man making ceremonies, kangaroo geyle[?]. one boy from here has been sent to Musgrave Park and they are waiting for him to come back - could be 100 people over from the Musgraves. Regarding the postion of female anthropologist, Betsy Gould was allowed to witness a little of the beginning of sacred ceremonies but David K. would not advise having a woman involved in the store for sacred boards. A person known[?] in the area should be employed in the negotiations or at least known by reputation (of our people only Crawford[?] is known). Of bush natives left, a camp of 3 males, 3 females & 3 children are 50 m. south of Windy Corner, they will be contacted by Bob Verburct of Woomera Research Centre next week. David & Bob leave here on the 12th or 13th of this month & will be met 4 or 5 days. The group is thought to have been at Warbo 6 or 8 years ago & is probably Pintibi[?]. Except for 4 (man, woman, 2 children) in the Sir Frederick Range.(trucks seen by United Carrier[?] Exped), this is probably th last guys outside the missions and stations. Bob V. went back & checked the trucks of the Windy Corner lot but the U.S. Exped. report is not confirmed Petrol at Gambamba[?], David Kinninmont will pick up the 1 1/2 drums & issue an LPO to the Museum. 1430hrs Sched a failure too much electrical machinery. Filled up at Western Mining, tank showing[?] empty. Left 1 2/3 drums there & 1 empty drum.[Must write to David Kinninmont about this]. John E. Carr. Friend of the South Australian Museum. Carr came in an hour or so before we left for Rawlinna. He is a keenly interested naturalist & friend of John Mitchell. Has excellent Kodachromes of Notomys also he is making a collection from the area for S.A.M. Have given him a note for John Mitchell suggesting that John Gets a permit for him to collect. He ha a photo of a Sminthopsis worth following up. Left Warburton Mission 1545 hrs. Left new road on the old Warbo road to the south, went along it until it petered out. Turned back to new road - no Athol - back to look for him. Puncture. Back at new road, decided to drive down as far as the Yowalga Oil Well. Camped there for the niight 25.1 miles from Warburton Mission.
Very tired & fed up. Mechanic at Warbo Western Mining misinterpreted the attitude of the International and had told Athol that it was dangerous - this produced a crisis which resulted in it being impossible for me to load petrol into the rear of the vehicle. So we have only our tanks and normal fuel drums to get us there. Little to play with.
> 7th August (Monday)
Up at dawn, a beautiful but very cold morning. Talked to Harry Butler at 0700. He is at a position 15m N.E. of Elduna Rockhole & 5 miles from Kalura Rockhole on his way to Wanna Lakes. Spoke to Ruth Swan[?], got her address for M. and tea[?] women to write. Told the Swans composition of our party and to expect us at the weekend. Telegram sent:
1.RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH :
LEFT WARBURTON FOR RAWLINNA STOP YOUR LETTERS WARBURTON MISSING WRITE CARE SWAN KANANDAH PRIVATE MAIL BAG KALGOORLIE 6434 LOVE ALL:DEE
2. TERRELL PHONE 284411 PERTH.
WARBURTON AREA UNPRODUCTIVE STILL NO TRACE SEED OR MAIL STOP FIND AND REROUTE KANANDAH PRIVATE MAILBAG KALGOORLIE 6434 STOP ALSO REROUTE TYRE RAWLINNA STATION STOP MERRILEES WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPLAUD YOUR DECISION STOP SARA WHO IS GOING STOP WILL WRITE OR TELEPHONE CAUTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE : RIDE
Left camp at 10.30 hrs. to drive to the Rawlinna turnoff. Airstrip crosses road on top of hill. Drove back tp the first major turn off southwards or per Hawthorn's instructions. Turn off. Road goes off on 111* (31.2 m. from mission[?]). Cross laterite hill. Road starts to wind through dunes. Evapinate[?] on top of hill (v. low; about dune height) to east of road ; presumably blue spots show at 447718-7. Bulldozer exposed silicified sandstone & a mail-like or having spangilite-like [?] white rock rather like that of the Cretaceous along the Gunbarrel Highway. Collected Amphibolous at exposure. Stopped at Cretaceous outcrop for lunch at 1330, probably Gold Rocks 453706. Started again at 1400 hrs. road bears 160*, breakaway on left with ? trig point on hillcrest on right. Road bears 175*. Road follows around top of breakaway, camped at top of breakaways. Numerous small caves & rockshelters with plentiful stick & stone auberat[?] structures[?]. Decided to have traps set all over to try to find out what makes these structures[?]. Numerous small common-type scats around the piles. Sched. Telegrams recd.
1. PERTH 21 words 2.31 DR RIDE 8WNX
TYRE REROUTED TO RAWLINNA STOP SEED MAP ETC SENT TODAY VIA WESTERN MINING TO WARBURTON WEDNESDAY PLANE STOP PROJECT OFFICER A.T.PARKER OF KALGOORLIE SARA ON LEAVE THIS WEEK. TERRELL.
2. PERTH 14w. at 1.19 RIDE PORTABLE 8NNX
THANKS THREE LETTERS WRITING TODAY CARE SWAN CONCERT HILLARIOUS SUCCESS LOVE MARGARET.
Set. 1. TERRELL PHONE 284411 PERTH.
ALREADY LEFT WARBURTON PLEASE REROUTE MAPS SEED KANANDAH RIDE.
West for a walk to see if I could get a euro. Scats around the breakaways. No luck. Found that one of the Lake Baker Notys had given birth during the day to 3 young surprisingly large. Did not touch them for fear of having them eaten ; however marked H & B in a bit of paper approx 31 mm.[WR 212] Antechinus macdonnellensis f., died in captivity 7 Aug 1967. Caught Lightning Rocks A.M.D. 6/8/67. Fried chop fat in cage trap. No young in pouch, 6 very small teats each separate by spaced from the other (not in groups like some dasyurids).
[WR 213] Notomys male 6/8/67.
The Pearl Shell Ornament : [Told to David Kinnimont by David Gill, a Wongai, originally from the Mt. Davies Area.]
This is Bilbit - breast bone of kangaroo.
Belongs to Marloo, belongs to David Gill ; got it the other side of Talawan. Come from Ernabella long way from Alice Springs.
Boy from Mt. Davies was blown away by wind. Men went to look. Two men, one Marloo and one Euro, started at Mt. Davies. A different Marloo came over Warburton way and went back. Went right round this side Alice Springs looking for one boy. The Marloo and Euro went to many places. The different Marloo man was coming around other side Winbal (Winburn Rocks) picked up boy at Punti-put, north-east Winbal went to Bungala yulgoari. The Marloo man put the big boy in his pouch to Billbarin, where he was made a man, which is south east of Mt. Davies. Marloo man left him (the Bilbit) this side of Alice Springs. Someone gave him to my brother who gave him to me. Part of the journey is marked by a rock formation near Alownis [?] which looks like a kangaroo lying on its back. [The carving on the ornament has no significance for the Wongai-or the story above] [C3808-11].
more...
Author: Ride, W. D. L. (William David Lindsay), 1926-2011; Douglas, Athol M., 1915-2006; Savage, R. J. G.; Cleverly, William Harold, 1917-1997
Call no: FN203
Year: 18 - 31 July 1967
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> 18 July (Tuesday)1967
Left Perth with Landrover WAG ok trailer, all tanks full before leaving. A hell of a business getting off - Interstate Directors Conference the week before and a board meeting on Friday. Got "Guide to hands"[?] fitted the night before and last connects to m.s. at 0600 hrs ! Then spent the morning dictating last minute letters for Lyn. Will see how she copes while I am away. Have references to write & send back to her for Kalgoorlie.
Left Perth with Landrover WAG ok trailer, all tanks full before leaving. A hell of a business getting off - Interstate Directors Conference the week before and a board meeting on Friday. Got "Guide to hands"[?] fitted the night before and last connects to m.s. at 0600 hrs ! Then spent the morning dictating last minute letters for Lyn. Will see how she copes while I am away. Have references to write & send back to her for Kalgoorlie.
Seem to have forgotten very little. Sieves left behind and a groundsheet. I will also have to try to get a truck-driver's licence in Kalgoorlie. Bob Savage in excellent spirits, glad to be off at last after 3 weeks of Plaistowe around Perth while I completed my problems.
Cunderdin : topped up with 4 1/2 gallons.
Southern Cross filled up with 8 /2 gals. Athol had been through before me in the big mobile lab. the station attendant said. Coolgardie. Athol had been there about 1/2 hr., we arrived a few minutes after eight. We ate at the cafe opposite the Mines Office. Turn off down the Coolgardie Norseman Rd., Turned off road to the right to camp for night. A clear frosty night, v. cold indeed. got wireless working and tuned in at 2340 hrs.
> 19 July (Wednesday)
Must (1) See Tim Hodson re flowers & museum (2) See Bill Cleverly re sieves (3) buy groundsheet (4) fix fridge and get meat (5) See Cameron(?) at Western Mining re aircraft for recce.
Very cold night. Athol up at 3, temp 32*, 42* at dawn, up soon after. Bob had
ice in his cilico(?). Got through on Sched to Charlie at 7.30, told him to tell Kevin Ewings at Whisky Whisky Tango that we would be on our way. Drove back to Coolgardie, had breakfast & a wash at the cafe opposite the mine(?) office next to Ben Prior's garage & house. Filled up at Ba's garage. Got to Kalgoorlie at 10.00 and went straight round to Bill Clevely. He took us to see Eric Cameron at Western Mining, an ex student of Bob's of 8 years previously. Eric agreed to fix it for Western Mining to let us charter an aircraft for Warburton Mission half-way through a Western Mining Charter from Kalgoorlie to the Mission or back. This will save us the cost of a delivery charge to Warbo. Bill and I then left the other two to talk over old times and we went back to the School of Mines to deal with problems. We first over the representation of Bill on the Golden Mile Museum Committee as deputy of Sir Thomas Meagher. He agreed & I wrote to Ray George asking him to write to Hobson at the School of Mines to get permission. We then went round to see Tim Hobson, Chairman of the Golden Mile Museum, to fix it verbally with him. This was OK. I also ordered a bunch of flowers & sent a card for M. to be delivered on the 25th[?] wedding anniversary.
Athol took the lab off to get muffler seen to and to get batteries & frig connected up. Went and got torch bulbs (spares) and a good strong waist-belt. Drove up with Bill to see Charlie Prideaux at Flying Doctor Base. He and Alma seemed pleased to see me. I told him what we were doing and we are all "official" now. Went to the Police to get a new driving licence and also to get a learners B licence for the truck - failed the written 20/out of 25. Told by the policeman to go away and practise in the bush - but not on a road. I can come back in a month to try again. Had lunch with Bill Clevely - Bob had lunch with Eric and Athol with Tony Moriarty (Bill's Asst.). After lunch went
to NOESKA and arranged with them for a charter when we ask for it over Radio.
2 possibilities:
Code the WARBURTON SURVEY FLIGHT = Warburton Mission, Sutherland Range, Rason Lake, Baker Lake, Warburton Mission OR
Code name COSMO NEWBERY SURVEY FLIGHT = Cosmo N., Rason Lake, Baker Lake, Sutherland Range, Cosmo N.
When we ask for code Warbo they will check with Western Mining if the company has a two day charter laid on for Wednesday (to Warbo) Thursday (back to Kal) if so, they will ask to do our job on the Thursday and the Western Mining second leg on the Friday. They will then inform us if it is possible. NOESKA (Aviation) phone 116 Kalgoorlie.Went back to Bill's office. Saw Athol & started him off down the road to Leonora at 14.30 hrs. Sat down and wrote references & reports on Barry Wilson's and Duncan Merrylees's research applications to the Research Grants Committee and on John B. for Hodgkin. Sent them all to Lyn to have typed and forwarded. Sent in receipts for wire for sieves and torch bulbs to Rob for recomp as well as the pink halves of local produce orders 201-201 (inc.).
Left Kalgoorlie at approx.15.45 hrs., refill with 1 jerry can, met Athol. Drove into Leonora. Had meal at Pete's Cafe and refilled. Drove on in the dusk towards Laverton, fox crossed road, 1 small euro, no other animals. Stopped 27 miles short of Laverton at where we camped in mulga, a warm night, overcast, wind from the east. Pleasant change from previous night. Full moon behind thin cloud. Made wind break from mulga & map bond.
> 20th July 1967 (Thursday)
Up at 5.45, a dawn with broken cloud cover, still warm, bell birds & butcher birds trying to call. Got tea, Athol up too. Came through to Charlie asked him to check with 8WWT. [?] in tent we would be in early afternoon. Packed up camp after a good breakfast on road at 08.15. Laverton filled up 6 gals. (11/2 gals to replace some given to native party on road). Spinifex starts, emus with 18"chicks, striped.
Cosmo Newberry Clyde Cotteril, Sam Mollenbank who we met at Warbo last year. First dune, Black boys. Met Dick Hawthorn[?] on the road. Had a long and worthwhile talk with him. He says that he has found fossil wood in a hill near Yowalga no. 2 of Hunt Oil [sketch of location] Rawlinna road and good [scenery] entry vicinity of Fetherstonhaugh hill. Photographed Sturt Pea on roadside [C3701-4]. Fill up with fuel Minnie Creek, [Kangaroo Tree] Stopped & had look at 15.00 hrs, drove on at 15.45 ; Yamarna Homestead 17.00, left at dusk to look for breakaway with pebbles, drove down fence line & then along track but unable to find it in dark. Drove back to track and camped. CAMP. Drove back to fenceline. Up fence line to gate on homestead road. Yamarna homestead. Dined with Kevin & Anne, Jim [Ewings] (?) (brother), Johnathan (Wangui), Stephen, Mary and David. Back at fence, turn off. Cast around at back of fuel stut post. Find track, follow along it until turn in 60* at breakaways. Back in track being driven a bearing of approx 2408. Back at fence. Drove back to camp and picked up vehicles and drove on to the Bembergs & made permanent camp. Turned in soon after 11.00 pm, a clear night, bright full moon, slight breeze from the south, nip in air.
> 21 July (Friday)
Did not wake until 0700, a lovely morning (?). Sched at 7.30 hrs. Telegrams.
1.TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH
ARRIVED YAMARNA ANY MAIL CAN BE SENT CARE COSMO NEWBERRY COLLECTION ABOUT ONE WEEK. RIDE.
2. RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH
ARRIVED YAMARNA GOOD TRIP ANY MAIL CAN BE SENT CARE COSMO NEWBERRY ABOUT ONE WEEK LOVE DRE.
Spent morning clearing out the mobile clad9/0 and setting it up for work. Also had a good wash and clean up, and sorted out kit. Now ready for work.
Athol said that he had hit a bat the other night (11th) just before we saw him 84 miles s. of Leonora. We had looked for it but without luck - when we were cleaning up today we find it caught in the bracing struts of his driving mirror: male Nyctophilus geoffroyi forearm 33.1 mm, ears 20, noseleaf fairly well defined. By the time we found it, it had just started to slip and one came off during our efforts to disentangle it from the driving mirror. We discussed the naming of the specs of this trip and Athol pointed out that since the information would be used by me it would be better to have all the data in my books so we have decided to give all W.R. nos. The bat becomes [WR129/N. geoffroyi male], approx 84 miles south of Leonora on Menzies/Leonora Rd. collected A.M.D. 19th July1967.
Bob Savage back. He had collected a couple of small [gelyra?], together under a stone in a rocky outcrop. Unfortunately, he has come to the conclusion that the breakaway is largely Precambrian - that the lawn beds are decomposed schists and that only the upper beds above the conglomerate (which becomes the local conglomerate of the crossbedded sandstones overlying it) are sediments. Further, he says that they have the look of marine beds. This interpretation probably means that the upper sediments are almost certainly Permian and don't class as Tertiary here at all. We also checked on the connecting like objects which Basil [Bilne?] might be Hakea (from the only specimen he brought back last time). These are certainly connections for the decomposed schists. [Sketch of geological layers]. The local conglomerate chips so that it is easy to gain the impression that it is laterally[?] equivalent to the siltstones. The schists are also so decomposed that in places these look very much like amorphous sandstones.
Location of breakaway 1 camp is approx 155508 (4 n. NW of Tobin Hill)
About 1/2 to 3/4 mile to the south is a small isolated breakaway there are dendritic(?)root marks across the surface of the siltstones, collected a few. Athol set out the traps - I helped him with the search 30. i.e. 60 shenas altogether. I set along the line of the hills. The other atriths i.e. approx west. Kevin & Johnathan came in for a few minutes.
> 22 July (Saturday)1967
Up at 06:45 a beautiful day with a keen wind. No luck with traps.
07:30 Sched. No call for no.
Left camp at 08:55 to drive back to Fandine[?] by Ron King's[?] road he showed us last night then on to Turkey Hill by the Lake Yeo Road. Hit a new road going north, turned left (i e south)way towards Yamarna Homestead. Fence line with gate. Turned south towards Yeo Lake road. Yeo Lake road at gate in Kevin's Fence, turned E by NE. Road goes off northward - presumably to Dorothy Hills. Collected Grevillea [C3705-6]& photographed it c 10ft tall. Very beautiful country, well watered with lush vegetation banded on sides with sandhills. Tracks everywhere, water alongside road at 94.9. Red kangaroo seen, emu seen with chick tracks, camel pads, fox, very small animals including one which is about rabbit sized ? bandicoot but it did not have the big hind foot (can it possibly be Chaerops) This would be a wonderful place to leave Athol for a few days. It appears to be the valley of the creek which is marked on the map as running WNW for a small lake between Dinges Table Hill and Mallee Hen Point, map ref.squ 1750. Point Sunday. Heavily lateritized sandstones probably Permian.
Collected artifacts from foot of diecling[?] : cherts, quartzite, some little vein quartz. Y junction[?] in track opposite Stony Point, took left fork of junction up to Point, right fork probably goes on towards Turkey Hill, will try this later. Drove up to Stony Point. This is where the chert and quartzite comes from. Climbed up to trig point on top E.W.3.
Awest Resealings[?] on Eastern End ie Bluff Point (209510) 158*. These centre a line round to a low couple of hills between 98* & 108* (ie Turkey Hill) then on the far horizon some 20 miles or more away there are lots of big breakaways. 1. Between 97*-85* possibly Yeo Hills 2. Between 66*-56* these letters are probably 30-40 miles away, Probably Wilkinson Range. Reached Bluff Point just driving on a bearing for Stony Point. Massive sandstones, some silicified, lateritized[?] in top, v. big breakaway. We crossed the road to get to it at 42:20 [C2707] Had luck, photographed Bluff Point with back to Stony Point. Climbed to top to get bearings and look at sediments.[C3708] Took photo from top looking North towards Stony Point. [Sketch of Bluff Point showing massive sandstones, coarse conglomerate sandstone, chert]. Walked around the point to the West, numerous dog tracks everywhere, must be pupping in among the tumbled boulders. Took photo of typical habitat [C3709]. 42:24 back at road where it descends to go to Stony Point. 42:47 Back at Water. Photo of cockatiels at tree above water [C3710].
> 23rd July 1967 (Sunday).
Spent morning up to 10.15 cleaning up doing washing cleaning up the kitchen equipment etc. Listened to Sunday Sched at 08.00. Several rain of between 20 & 50 pts around to the west and south of us Laverton had 20 pts. Drove over to the homestead for morning tea and then up to Minnie Creek north of the old homestead. Still water in the creek. Bob Savage agrees with my conclusions e the relationships of the beds here with schist overlain by noden[? murchison[?]-grit-like sediments. These are partly windblown, partly flurintile[?] & partly just debris from the slopes above the creek. Walked out one mile - no fossils. Drove on up to the place where there is water in the creek and decided to lunch[?]. Leave Athol to set mistnets and cage types and to look for morabines for Michael White. Set off with Bob to drive over to Thatcher Soak to check the Virginia Range.
Tack[?] junction north of Thatcher's, turned North. Diorite hills, turned back to Thatcher, reached Thatchers. Country round about all terribly cut up by cattle. Creek bank being broken down. They certainly make an awful mess of country, about 1 doz head visible. turned come i e back to old Yamarna to pick up Athol. Picked up Athol at old Jamarna and drove up to check his mistnets. Found that Athol had set the nets too early in the day and had lost one sin[?] a brown hawk had hit it. How silly.
Replaced it with my net and drove back to camp. Dropped into Yamarna to ask if they intended to come in to look at the Sminthopsis which Athol had got in his traps that morning. They said that they would come in about 8. At camp : Kevin and Jim Ewings dropped in for a talk. Talked about many things including what is happening out at Warbo in respect of Western Mining and the native leaseholders.
Sminthopsis does not look too good, very cold and shocked. Drove up to nets to see if anything in them, covered up nets - nothing. back at camp turned in 23:00 hrs.
Sminthopsis larapinta [W.R. 130] male with unusually large testes, collected in Sherman trap on Universal bait. Rocky pavement on top of breakaway. Mulga sand night 22/23 July. Kept alive for photography. Collected A.M.D. Died night 25/26, Skin & skull gruswt[?] carcass.
!Mite collected , fem specimen preserved in alcohol. [Detailed physical description of Sminthopsis].
> 24th July 1967 (Monday)
Up before dawn and off to Minnie Creek to pick up the mistnets and cage traps (3) set by Athol yesterday. No luck. Back at camp in time to set up for Sched. No calls for us.[WR 131] Athol got a M. musculus f., (physical description) preserved in formalin.
Picked up and worked out our loads v. satisfactory so far. Will go up to the Yamarna homestead to say good-bye to Kevin & Anne & make arrangements for mail. Left camp at breakaway. Minnie Creek turn off. Filled up both vehicles, took 1 complete 44 gal drum, left 2 full. Took Kynoo tree on way through one old capsule [C3711,2]. 169.5 miles to Galimba[?] from my last diary & 55 or 60 to Lake Throssell. Stopped for 15.45 Sched but not on the traffic list, had "lunch" at 15.55 ! Tracks marked on map not visible. Eurothuna Rock hole "breakaway" crossing the road, actually two laterite hills. Euro - dark red - running up into low quartzite hill. This is the hill of the Beegull Waterholes [Peagull?]. Very inconspicuous track on left of road, breakaway marked at approx 76.0 not visible from road. Crossing outliers of lake bed, thick saltbush flats. Country scarcely resembles the dreadful grey wastes of last summer's heat. Rounded hill to come into side of lake with the exposures of soft porous white "earth". Camped for night & listened to Elizabeth Schwartzkopf singing Schubert and Schumann safe tring in
> 25 July 1967 (Tuesday)
A beautiful morning Sched at 7.30. Telegram from Margaret RIDE 8WNX
MAY WE HAVE MANY MORE HAPPY ANNIVERSARIES LOVE MARGARET.
sent RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH AT LAKE THROSSELL MOVING LAKE BAKER TODAY STOP REMEMBERING ANNIVERSARY MUCH LOVE DEE
Charlie tells us that there is a Sydney University Party wdn SMITH-WHITE which left Kalgoorlie yesterday for Warbos and Alice Springs. call-sign 8 NOVEMBER MIKE FOXTROT.
Heard Alex George, Herbarium call for some 120 miles S of Sandy Junction. He will call in again at 8.00 tomorrow. He is finding going tough but expects to be there in a couple of days and will then go over to Port Hedland.08.00 Smith-White reports position 60 miles N of Kalgoorlie, will report position to Charlie every couple of days.
4 youths escaped from custody at Madura 03.00 hrs and stole parts for another vehicle & set off coshends[?], Norseman police alerted.
8WHISKY ZULU ZULU Rod called asking whether we were going through, will find out where Widgilend (?) is. [C3713] photographed cap. Athol in Cap. Athol shot a white-breasted swallow & made a skin also pinned insects. Bob & I walked out the lake shore and also some small dunes out in the lake. Everything is gypsum, crystalline, fibrous or just plain amorphous where it has weathered up. This is the "diatomaceous earth" of my earlier notes of the last trip. Left for last Sched. Aerial Signpost no 12 photograph of Swage photopysly[?] it.[C3714]44.99. At bend in road just after end of lake turned back along old road towards breakaway visible to North. Will try to reach the breakaway about 5 miles away on the oute [?] shore of the lake. Followed road around but it just joined the new road where it crosses the lake - obviously not the right one. Back to start again. Start afresh North east along old road this time to see if we can hit junction. No luck, back to start point again. Start again, leave track on bearing slightly north of west. Arrived at hill on side of lake. No breakaway but covered with loose scree of solidified fine sandstone (quartzite) and topped by the remains of a quartz conglomerate. Over the other side of it (i.e. West) about 1/3 of the way down there is bedded sandstones which, in their upper levels, have cleaved across thin bedding planes - presumably this is the mapped Proterozoic and the quartzites and conglomerate, the Permian. V. much like the Bluff Point at Stoney Point junction. 13.25 hrs turned back to lab. & trailer on road.
Back at road, had lunch, left for Galinda at 14.40.
Road looks beautiful - Mulga coloured, spinifex in bloom, wildflowers numerous, budgies and other birds everywhere. Cue onto Yowalga Map Sheet. Dunes. Yowalga Rockhole on left, looks as though it has fallen in, probably u.s., did not stop.
> 27th parallel (Hunt Oil) road goes off on the right. Blew tyre. Difficult to understand, travelling slowly over corrugations at about 40 mph it suddenly went. Bob driving at the time. When we got it off we found that the tyre - a brand new Michelin had split along its inner wall from the tread right round the shoulder almost to the rim. This is serious because we now have only a single spare for the Landrover. Cannot understand what could have done it. Only possibility seems to be that it might have received a slight cut when we drove across the scree slopes of the hill to the north of L. Throssell which weakened it & the corrugations caused it to split. Replaced tyre. Ran out of petrol, filled with 1 jerrycan : we have done 177.2 on full tank. Started - killed Boobook owl with Kangaroo guard. Arrived Gahmra Rockhole. Cold night. Turned in early. The Rockhole is v. low, country round covered with bird droppings, full of feathers and green. Obviously highly nitrogenous & phosphatic. Decided not to net it.
> 26 July 1967 (Wednesday)
Temp fell to 31.5* F - 35* at dawn, lovely dawn. Sched at 0715 with Dick Huotham[?] 8 R.B. He is going through to Leonora leaving tomorrow and will be back on Monday. He can pick up a tyre for us. He has plenty of fuel & oil for us. The road to Rawlinna is not used much. He could pick up our mail from our chums at Garuda. Also spoke to Claude Cotteril 8 L.R. to ask him to put mail to us with Smith-White. He said that he would do this and give it to Charlie Prideaux who is also coming through.
Kevin Ewings also came through 8 W.W.T. He simply said that he was OK & hoped that we had had a good trip. I thanked him for his help to us.
0730 Sched to V.J.Q., we were on the traffic list : telegram for Terrell :
ALEX SUGGESTS ARCHER JOIN YOU KALGOORLIE 18TH AUGUST AS NO ROOM ABROLHOS TRIP STOP R.J.TERRELL.
Some confusion because this telegram was not addressed properly but to 8WDX FLYING DR KALGOORLIE. I got a polite rocket from JOHN (Charlie's deputy). Sent memo to Smith-White to ask him to come up on Sched at 0700 hrs tomorrow. Sent telegram to Terrell.
TERRELL CARE MUSEUM PERTH.
URGENT SEND LANDROVER MICHELIN TYRE AND TUBE IMMEDIATELY TO HAWTHORN OF WARBURTON MISSION AT LEONORA STOP NOW WORKING LAKE BAKER STOP WILL REPLY RE ARCHER LATER STOP OUR ADDRESS IS ADRESSEE PORTABLE 8ONX KALGOORLIE. RIDE.
Heard Michael Ridpath on 8WUN asking Harry Frith to bring him three loaves of bread from Canberra !!!
Very few birds are into windhole, seems to be other water in the area. Packed up & left at 11.15fter a v. difficult search for the radiator cap of the International which Athol had misplaced - no luck.
Filled up jerricans leaving 2 in the tanks i e 2 jerricans from empty tank at miles 2619.6, we will now check possible distance across country per jerrican. Athol filled up both tanks (his mileage 21090.8) he will now run on int tank till empty. Bag-on-stake on road marking distance onto cat[?]-line on 128*, turned left onto 47*, turn right at bag-on-stake into 126*, turn right at bag-on-stake into 165*. Took 3 photos of vehicles in spinifex[C3715-7]. Surveyors peg. Then into bearing of 94*, over dip to Campsite. Drove down to Sharpe's Bluff exposure to have a look with Bob. As I thought, the wood comes from a horizon immediately below the coarse sandstone which overlies the shales and cherts. It is much altered and little structure remains - could be a silicified and much altered lignite. Bob also looked and identified an evaprte[?] down below the shales which is causing them to break up in places. It is exposed as a messy looking morplans[?] deposit in a bit of a saddle to the south of the first bluff. He is of the opinion that the deposit is a shallering[?] marine deposit. He also found a horigin[?] which he identifies as a decomposed glauconite [?]. If so it certifies the identification. Back to Camp. Turn in at 21.00 v. tired.
> 27 July (Thursday)
A good night, v. windy, approx 30 last days fell to 46* a lovely dawn temp 48*. Up for Sched with Smith-White 8NMF. Got through well and arranged to meet them at either the turn-off or at Galinda at 1400hrs. VSQ came up and asked if I had got through to Smith-White or not. I told him that I had and that I had been trying to raise 8 Roneo Bravo to tell Dick that the Sydney party would not be there until tomorrow (instead of today) so Prof Cardin[?] who is coming to Warbo via Gunbarrel could be informed. John agreed to pass the message.
John also gave me a telegram RIDE 8 WNX 24 wds. Perth 4.5 pm 26 July
TYRE AND TUBES DESPATCHED RAIL VIA KALGOORLIE 26TH TOMORROWS TRAIN LEONORA STOP CLEVERLEY. WILL ENSURE TRANSHIPMENT KALGOORLIE : BOB.
I asked John to pass this information on to Dick Hawthorn so that he can pick it up in Leonora. 0730 Sched. John passed all messages through to Dick Hooton[?]. Reception poor and I passed messages for (a) Alex George[?] Agriculture that he is 50 miles W. of Sandy Blight Junction and said he would be working Port Hedland as for this Sched (b) CSIRO soils party PWYV. 90 miles W. of Sandy Blight Junction proceeding next to Jupiter Well. Sitrep only.
Bearings for camp. 108* First Bluff, 107* Second Bluff, 98* Third Bluff.
Walked over to Sharpe's Bluff exposures and moved along them around the first, second, and 3rd Bluffs. Collected 2 polypods[?], 1 from float and the other from the shale bed immediately below the sandstone. V. poor condition. Walked across valley. Creek bottom with good exposures of "muchism cement" and shales outcropping in places. Collected artifacts in floor of valley. Bluffs on West side of valley. disappointing, great thickness of laterite from top to bottom, seems to be wholly lateritised. Walked back to camp arriving at 13.30. Drove straight over to the road. left 648.7.
1st turn 52.0 (length of strait 2.3 m.), 2nd turn 53.4 (length of strait 1.4 m.), 3rd turn 58.6 (5.2), last turn 60.6 (2.0), at road (estimate) 63.5 (3) Back at camp being picked up Spencer Smith-White and two collectors John Thompson and Jim McKay. They have a large Bedford 2 tonner, 2 wheel drive and double rear wheels. Bunks and lab inside. They got it as far as the lip of the valley o.k.
We dug out an Antstick "nest"from the Sharpe's Bluff breakaway. must be the work of an animal - consists of a mass of grass "bedding" then sticks and stones cemented with antact[?] piled over it, whole pile then covered with a loose pile of stones about 2" square mixed in with twigs and bits of wood. Small faeces about rat-sized in the pile but no really visible chambers. However, the rock behind the pile is honeycombed with fissures and holes which could provide entrances.
Set 60 shenans with Athol and 3 large traps, set 30 down in the valley in a line E-W (lots of 10 in varied locations). Set the 30 up on the lip both on top of, and beneath, the breakaways. Very strong wind and very cold. Spent rest of evening trying to open the skull of WR130 S. larapinta. This is a young male, not quite fully up, it fell to bits when Athol was prepping it, repaired it as well as possible under microscope lent by Smith-White, used P.V.A. Cloud coming up from west, looks like we are in for weather.
> 28 July 1967 (Friday)
A wet night, somewhere about 10 points fell & very cold and bitter wind from the WNW min.42*F : 44* at dawn. Spoke to Claude Cottril who says that there is mail for us at the mission. He will arrange for Charlie to pick it up and bring it out. He asked me something about a truck and I told him that the Smith-White party had reached us yesterday. Spoke to Kevin, wished him a good trip back to Ricks[?], they had had about 30 points.
Told Dick Woodly[?] that I had Smith-White with me and that Cardin[?] was coming down the Gunbarrel with a Landrover & no wireless. Asked him to hold Cardin[?] if he arrived before Smith-White would be with them today fairly early. Sched 0730: Spoke to Charlie and asked him to give me a burst at 0715 on Monday morning to let me know position so that we pick up mail. If he hears notes he will leave it on the drums[?].
Claude Cotteril came up and passed his grey auto truck through VSQ. It was , had we seen the Foden Truck which they use to carry stuff between Warbo & Cosmo. It turns out that Smith-White had seen it about 100m. W of Galinda. I passed the information over.
Will spend the day walking down the creek to the lake.
Athol got a Leggadina hermannsburgensis, fem., in a trap down in the valley. [WR132] [measurements], Taken on flat in grass near dry creek bed below Sharpes Bluff. Set off at 10.10, walked down to creek near camp - creek marked by Eucalyptus ? camaldulensis the situation seems to be pretty well uniform throughout the lake i.e.[ Sketch]
No fossils at all. Walked until 1400 hrs. Broke for lunch and then started back. Climbed isolated breakaway on southern side of valley, on way back found Hunt Oil cut line. Took bearing, cut line to lake 217*, white post where we walked along it towards Saenlenojs [?] ; left outline[?] tears[?] 277* to the 2nd Bluff which is probably Sharpes Bluff (the back bearing of this bluff to camp is 98*). This should now be straight in line with camp. Walked in test bearing and had to connect a bit to the north and arrived back at camp at 16.15 hrs after walking for 6 hrs with a 15 minute break. Collected one Amphibolurus in bed of creek in a burrow under a tussock. Also collected a Myrmecia desertorum for Athol.
Athol had loaded water and we had a good wash. Athol came in as he had moved all the 30 shermans near camp down into the Rowe Hills before the lip of the Sharpe's Bluff valley. He also set 19 break backs. A. checked traps before turning in. 1 Leggadina hermannsburgensis, male, in breakback [WR133].
> 29 July 1967 (Saturday)
[Description of [WR122] Leggadina hermannsburgensis]
A very cold night 26*F - fortunately no wind, 32* at dawn. Athol had great success with the breakbacks : 2 Leggadina and 2 Mus musculus, in live traps down in valley, 1 Leggadina + 5 mus musculus.
Left camp 4677.4 to try to find the way into the cutline. Drove behind the breakaways in a bearing of approx 130*. 4680.7 found cutline in valley on bearing of approx 213*. Left Athol alongside breakaways with good news & continued on down cutline. 4681 back at post we left yesterday when we left the cutline to go back to camp. At creek. Another mallee creek ane[?] eucalypts below the iwring[?] [C37 18/19] photos of savannah woodland. Diffuse[?] creek. Rubble outcrops[?] looking like dune runs across it in T junction bearing 298*. Run along tin[?] dunes caught Amphibolurus in flat before dune. Caught ? Egenia in spinifex in dune.Some difficulty in dunes. Got to lake at 4688.0. Went down to lake to have a look at expanse of a grey material underlying the dunes on the far side of a little bay. These are evaporates with layers of potch opal among them.
Walked along the top southwards and, to my surprise, found myself looking at a large australite - then found three more in quick succession. Two of the four are large "standard" shapes and one of them elongated & pinched in at one end. These were all found in the scattered debris along the top of the first ledge above the lake surface - but shortly after I found another (no. 5) halfway up the backing dune. It is clear that they are reaching out of the dune and are drifting down into the ledge above the lake. Took photos /b&w/ of each of the five in situ as found and also a general colour shot to give lay-out [C3720]. Bob then concentrated on the australites and found a good patch for small ones. Between us we found 14 more - a good haul for one day. One is very small button with a nearly complete flange. The two biggest weighed No. 1 14 1/2 g. No. 2 13 1/2 g.
North of the evaporates the exposures are made of fresh-water limestone. It looks as though there may be several cycles of events[?] here and all below the australite fall. The iron stone pisolites seem also to belong in the upper sands - but you would not expect to find them in the evaporites at [?]
Due to various holds up left the lake rather late, had trouble at a largish dune. When all this was over the sun had set and we had a difficult journey going back along the cut-line in the poor light. Thank goodness we had removed all the major dead branches, trees and stakes on the way in. When we turned off the cutline to go through the mulga to the camp it had got dark and Bob had to walk in front to keep in the tracks. When we got out into the spinifex it was o.k. but we had one very nasty moment when I all but chopped the vehicle into a gully some five feet deep.
Back to camp to find Athol just back himself after a walk back from the caves. He had no luck at all. The caves empty and only one Amphibolus to show for his day's work. Spent evening entering up work and photographing Leggadina caught today in live trap (b&w). very cold 46* at 2100hrs. will sleep in back of lab. tonight - later- find bed won't fit so will sleep out after all ! Specs collected that morning (ie 29th) measured next & fixed after fig. one: WR 134, WR135 ---- WR136, WR137 Leggadina --- WR 143 See 21/7/67 for this list.
> 30th July (SUNDAY)
Slept late up at 6.30 a lovely morning, was warm in bed, night temp 30*f.
Athol had a field day. 1 Leggadina alive, 6 Leggadina dead, 1 Notomys alexis ? dead, 3 mus musculus( 1 dead, 2 alive). Unfortunately, Athol does not have the sunflower seeds forgotten at the last moment will send following telegram at Sched 0900
RIDE PHONE 86 2242 PERTH PLEASE ASK BOB SEND TWO PACKETS SUNFLOWER SEEDS SOONEST CARE WARBURTON MISSION CHARTER PLANE WESTERN MINING GOES WEDNESDAYS STOP NOTOMYS ABUNDANT STOP ASK JOHN KEEP MULLEWA SPECIMENS ALIVE IF POSSIBLE FOR COMPARISON STOP HOPE ALL HAS GONE WELL WITH PENNY STOP HOW ARE TICKET SALES GOING STOP STILL WORKING LAKE BAKER MUCH LOVE ALL . DEE.
Memo for Smith-White. They met up with Carolis and Warbo and we about 70m. east. They will not go to Lake Molloy and Carolin did not come over the Gunbarrel. John tells me that Harry Butler is somewhere near Shell Lakes on the Nullarbor andthat he has a wireless 8WHISKY FOXTROT SIERRA
[WR144] Notomys,
[WR145] Notomys
[WR146] Notomys
[WR147] Mus musculus
[WR148] Mus musculus
[WR149] Mus musculus
[WR150] Leggadina hermansbergensis
[WR151] Leggadina hermansbergensis
[WR152] Leggadina hermansbergensis
[WR153]Leggadina hermansbergensis
[WR154] Leggadina hermansbergensis
[WR155] Leggadina hermansbergensis
[WR156] Leggadina hermansbergensis
Drove down to Lake Baker, climbed up a tall dune close to the lake and took bearings on various parts of the lake. No doubt that our position is possible 405676. We then went SE across to the lake shore and walked around the paeaile[?] to the vehicle which is just short of creek 403678. No worthwhile equeres[?]. Collected 3 small australites including a "pulled toffee" (the largest) in a small claypan on the eastern side of the dune which gave the large collection yesterday. Went back to the Australite site at 404677 collected another 9[?]. They are very concentrated at this locality - each time one is found it can be attributed to the outlast[?] from the single dune.
Walked out exposures up the creek. There seem to be three fucies[?]
(i) The gypsum evaporites - sometimes very silicificed
(ii) a grey freshwater limestone
(iii) A reddish brown calcareous mud (much less CaCo2) with root tubes very much like the "locus" of the Ederga.
No fossils visible in any of them. Drove back leaving 16.15 and arrived back at camp just as the light went. Notomys. Their tails have a constriction at the base which would be split if the tail is to be got right. Spent the night reading and weighing mice collected earlier. Wrote letters to M.Bob Tenell, Lyn, Barry Wilson asking for maps to cover the proposed journey southwards to Rawlinna and also for more tie-on labels. Cold - windy. To bed at 10.30.
> 31 July 1967 (Monday)
A heavy dew. Night not so cold in the end 36*F. The wind dropped. Slight low cloud and ground mist in the valley. Sched with Charlie on 8 WHISKY GOLF DELTA. He should be at Galimba around lunch time & will leave me mail. VJQ very poor. They could not get their set tuned and had to go over to a battery set. Reception not good.
[Detailed descriptions of animals collected :]
[WR157] Notomys,(collected in breakback, spinifex plain near Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D. [WR158] Mus musculus (brown bellied form), near Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR159] Mus musculus (pale bellied form), vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR160] Leggadina hermansbergensis, vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff, coll. A.M.D.
[WR161] Leggadina hermansbergensis, vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR162] Leggadina hermansbergensis, vicinity of Sharpe's Bliff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR163] Mus musculus (pale bellied) area Sharpe's Bluff. AMD 31/7/67
[WR164] Leggadina hermansbergensis , vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR165] Mus musculus (pale bellied), breakback in spinifex plain near Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D
[WR166] Mus musculus (dark bellied), in creek at base of Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR167] Mus musculus (dark bellied), vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR168] Mus musculus (dark bellied), vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D.
[WR169] Mus musculus (dark bellied), vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D.
[WR170] Mus musculus (dark bellied), vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D.
[WR171] Mus musculus (dark bellied), vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff. Coll. A.M.D.
[WR172] Mus musculus (dark bellied) vicinity of Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
[WR173-177] Kept alive to send to Perth for Ella, among items are 2 pregnant females of Leggadina, the others seem to be 2 young males (one previously collected WR156). The other 176 is a spec. of Notomys. [WR178] Mus musculus (dark bellied), vicinity Sharpe's Bluff, Coll. A.M.D.
Measurements of specimens collected 29 July 1967, all collected A.M.D., vicinity Sharpe's Bluff:
[WR134], [WR135] Mus musculus,
[WR136] Leggadina hermansbergensis, male
[WR137]Leggadina hermansbergensis, female
[WR138] Mus musculus, female
[WR139] Mus musculus
[WR140] Mus musculus, male
[WR141] Leggadina herrmansbergensis, m.
[WR142] Mus musculus (white bellied form)
[WR143] Mus musculus (brown bellied form).
END OF LIST OF SPECS COLLECTED 29/7/67.
Left camp to go to Galimba Rockhole. Arrived Galimba. Filled up tank which is now showing completely empty but not yet run out. Spent night ...ing .....[?].
To bed at 22.15.
Met Charlie : had lunch. Drove back to camp driving carefully & taking ...ings all the way to get an accurate plot of position of camp. [17 entries] up centre of valley.
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