Drove through the fence line and across several small creeks to a low isolated outcrop of quartzite & mulga. Find impression of leaves and wood plentiful. Collected these. These do not seem to be bored and there is no sign of marine shells or fossils here. The deposit is very narrow only about 100* or so and perhaps 30-400*in length in an approx E-W direction.

Unfortunately it is nowhere in situ that I can see. It only occurs as weathered boulders on a limited part of the top of one of the mesas overlying the marine sands of the Tertiary sequence but lateral to this it is replaced by boulders of quartzite which are much lighter in colour and quite unfossiliferous.

The best exposures of the fossil(?) leaves us down on the "scree" slopes and in the heaps of weathered boulders below and to the east of the mesa[4115,16].

Drove back to the Homestead for lunch very struck by the resemblance between this and the Kojanup sandstone. Some leaves from memory - even a scrap of what appears to be Nothofagus. There is also the same strap like leaf and unknown [?] proteaceous fruiting bodies. As far as we can see, this has not been reported in the literature and it confines ludbrools [?] as equivalent + between the Plantaganates [?] and the Merlinleigh Fm [4117,8] Plant & word fossils for lectures [?].

After lunch drove down to the Type [?] section and made a collection of the fossils from the Marine series. These are nowhere abundant and seem to be not numerous on the northern side of the big isolated mesa closest to the boundary fence. Collected wood in situ with molluscs, corals, Aturia ( the Nautiloid). No sign of the Echinoids or funans[?] reported previously. No sign of any Facies here.

Back to the homestead after collecting the largest Gecko (Oedura) I have ever seen. A great thick tail - more like a vaumid[?] than a gecko. It was concealing itself in a crevice in the massive chincrest [?] vertical face of the breakaway. I chipped it out - very strong and attempted to bite when I grabbed it. Will try to get it down alive to Glen. Also saw a small Lygorama [?] with a long red tail and stripes on its body.

Met stockman who tells me that the spinifex and red clues[?] which occur on the top of the Merlinleigh ridge go all the way to the coast.

It has been a lovely day - rather hot working in the sun pretty exhausted by about 1400 hrs. this will be a good place to work in Aug.

Turned in v. tired at 21.00 hrs.

> 7th Sept 1967 (Thursday)
Camped at Merlinleigh Homestead. Sched to VJP. 2 TELEGRAMS.

1. TERRELL PHONE 284411 PERTH
LEAVING KENNEDY RANGE TODAY FOR CARNARVON STOP PLEASE ENSURE MEETING PAPERS AT MY HOME STOP ASK LYN RING ME LUNCHTIME SUNDAY REGARDS RIDE

2. BROAD MELLENBYE WA YALGOO SORRY UNABLE CALL MELLENBYE ON WAY BACK FROM NORTH STOP PLEASE FORWARD ANY MAIL TO PERTH STOP REGARDS DAVID RIDE

Packed up specimens before going a little further up the track northwards for a last look.[4119, 4120] Old homestead. Drove a little less than 2 miles N. where the track comes across the breakaways down onto the flat. Here they are with quite extensive exposures of Tertiary. No fossils at all that we could see. Walked across to two isolated breakaways. The furthest cut is entirely Permian found a couple of little bits of wood floating in the valley floor. Bob found an exposure of rotten wood a little North of where we left vehicle.

[4121,22]. Eratic block - brecciated quartz at base of breakaway (Permian) isolated in valley floor, bears homestead[?] 226*. Plant[?] exposures 220*. Drove over to the Plant[?] beds & climbed breakaway to the West of where beds occur as boulders on surface. Bearing to Homestead Mill 245*. Bearing  to isolated breakaway (above) 28*. Made fucker collection of plant fossils. Back to homestead for lunch. After lunch packed up and drove out to the beds of rotten wood to collect some in the hope that lab disintegration may reveal something.

Left Merlinleigh for Gascoyne Jun. Collected Cuphibolus[?]. Arrived after dark & put up at the pub for night.

> 8 Sept. 1967 (Friday)
Up at 7.00 and had breakfast. Drove over to see Merv. Johns at the garage & found that the breakdown was a complete write off. A bit had come loose & rattled around inside - cannot be repaired here. Will have to be careful back to Perth.[4123]

Left crossing at 09.30. Fuel 12 1/2 gals.Turned off to Yalbalgo. Country dunes with acacias & grasses. Lots of goats. No sign of exposures. We ought to crovn[?] tertiaries on this route.

Marron Homestead. Still no exposures all low dunes well vegetated. No spinifex on this route at all. Took road to Wahroonga & then Wooramel. Still no exposures. Arrived on the West Coastal Highway at the 550 mile post  12.15 pm. Stopped to look at the exposures atYaringa, as usual nothing. There are divicasted[?] on the top & seem to be an early Tertiary marine limestone. Sharkn bay turn off. Stopped for a meal. Northampton filled up with 19 gals. Drove through tp Dongara where we interviewed Mr. about fossils he had written to Bob about. As suspected, they turned out to be concrete. Brought one of them back in case useful for "pseudofossil" display. Arrived home at 0310 hrs.

End of trip.

On ground Jerramungup
Valley of Fitzgerald R.
Mid cut Bremer - Bremer Bay
 
> 19 March 1972
Up at 6.15 sunshine with cloud : due South
T.O. 22 miles to Treetop to Vermin Fence to east
Do not take T O to the right which joins track
T O down to Twertup Creek
Crossing of Twertup Creek
Turn back from foot of cliff of spyllite near Roe Rock .
Creek crossing
Turn left to Jonacoonack
River with coal seams
View upstream to Roe Rock across coal seam
Map of Jupiter oil leases.
Park left
Park left to oil well
Oil well
7834, 35 Photos from the oil well upstream.
At oil well at 11.30 hrs
Beclend NS track
Main track
Verticordia oxylepsis fished film with access see Steve
01, 2 photos of bush as our
Turn off to mid out camera for the Esty track
Mt Am Track
Rabbit proof fence turned S. between Mt Bland and West Mt Barren.
H victorine photos
Crossed track & stayed fence line
Through fence line.
Main road turn left.

> 24th June 1964
Take off Carnarvon, low cloud and rain (light), all roads are closed north of town. Boolathana, photo of clay pans & salt lake on Quobba country flooded, ASI 140. All country here, i.e. E of large salt lake, seemed to be spinifex in flats with ironstone sand on gravel rises with sparse mulga. Claypans here seem to be oriented approx N/S a high there is no sign of the Boologooro redhills(?), must be earlier. Minilya HS large river gums along river, spinifex in between, claypans with low rise covered with sparse (?mulga) sand. Breakaways of a low range directed by eastward flagstones. Breakaways face west and streams from there to the Western lake are very short, from there backs browner they are clay streams flowing east into the claypan system to the west of the highway. Learmonth road  .... length stream flowing into the northern end of the lakes system (Cardadia Creek). The breakaways must be the edge of the Cretaceous. Now in red Cainozoic (?) sands of Cape. E.W. road crosses river and scrubby range to our east. Flat bedded sediments exposed on western sides of range. River flowing through K. sediments, good exposures in bands, river flows from n-s +1 fence, +1 fence +1 fence +fence. Bullara Homestead (I must tell Glen. Excellent rubbish dump!) Sandhills trending SSW.

Rough Range. Breakaways along S.C. side of range (i.e. edge of a plateau), deep creeks with trees in gorges. Coming down to Learmonth Strip, leaving Learmonth Strip. Turned off road south of airstrip, truck just past creek crossing (concrete) marker in sandhill at post in east of area C, post 513.
92.4 Fence line, very slightly w of north
92.9 Corner fence lines approx nw
95.3 big circle
394.0 Corner near ....(?)
393.3 through fence at mill & back along Fu.... track
394.5 back at corner & turn straight on along the direction of the short fence to the mill 220*. Line of pegs at small barbed wire enclave, sign reads Corrosion testing, metal samples buried "Location F".
395.3 Red peg BB..R1 White pegs 1107 &1089, line of pegs due south & N.
95.5 last pegs for final clo.. - well defined track
96.2 Wide creek no pegs turned back.
96.5 Xroads just beyond our original turnoff. bery trig pt. 39*.
Pegs (300/8500 : 9400 :9300 342 in ascending value.
900  9100 Back at testing clearing - peg 11107 Al. disc in peg T5 - 1.
Lasts & surveys connect just. E/5.
400.0 Try P... ridge beams. Back at 225* Drive back along ridge to main track ie firebreak to main road. fr is cross road 400.9 between .... 7 concrete creek crossing (R... 401.01), 8404.2 Run through
408.2 Back at airstrip.

Decided to spend night at Learmonth to collect fossil, Lt. Col. Keith Murdoch MBE, Civil Commission, Exmouth, (A.J.) Lee Brunning, Jack Neal. Spent the whole afternoon with Lee Brunning looking for the line of pegs but no luck at all. Found the West Base Trig and tried to pick up the line of pegs but no luck. They should be metal fenceposts with aluminium discs attached to them (Commonwealth surveyor back at Learmonth informed me afterwards). They run in extremely rough limestone foothill country.

Cave paintings at Talgarno. C'wealth Surveyor Arthur Dawson, approx S-SE of Talgarno Tn.site, approx 35 miles : Circles, reptile, Included Hill- overhang with cave shelter. Dawson has accurate fix of spot in his survey notes. Write to Chief ...... Officer, Dept of Interior, 11-15 William St., Perth

> 25th June
Take off DC3 Learmonth. [K1]Coast south of Onslow flooded mud flats, creeks & mangroves. 13.15[2B] Onslow.

14.15 Back at Barrow [K - all the rest] of island. Found Dampier Archipelago coming up. ETA Hedland is 15.40. Have sent message to XW via DCA to inform them. We may catch them on the ground & save a night in Hedland [K8] of Dampier Archipelago and Kanasclen country and also[3B] of Northern Springs only. Remarkable silhouette.

15.10 Discovered that an ETA now 15.50 will just miss the party in Hedland by 10 mins. Pilot decided to put me down to try.

Arrived Hedland, Aerocommander still on strip at Xstrips, pilot pulled up & I jumped out & scrambled into A/C & off !! Now to get into Broome before dark !

Broome : people to contact : John Tapper & brother Edgar (medico), Peter Hinchley engineer,, Dr Des Kelly. Small footprinters(?) K.B. Spry, Broome, job prospects, letter to me in Perth making enquiries.

[K1] coastal .... at Talgarno. Very clear in lowering sun, old coastline also shows up very well.

Get address of Australian Natural History for John Tapper. Dr Bill Smith physician at Chest Hospital.

John Tapper described a possum with short ears, large eyes, scaley bare tail like a file which he caught in the cylinder box at Entrance point - clearly Wyulda [squamicaudata]. He let it go in his garden.

> 26th June
Photos of luggers (?) ; Dampier West etc. Went with John Tapper and Peter Hinchley to the new jetty & to Entrance Point. Saw the usual(?) scappy plst fossils at new jetty, then on to Entrance Point and took photo of general view . Bloodwoods, Banksia, Corktrees.

Taxi out to the take off for survey of Dampier (?) land. B7W with green filter x 2, colour at 25AsA. [K1] [B1], photos of Pindan 500ft just before Barred creek(?), Quondong Downs (?), Point Coulomb,

[2K] [2B]Cape Bertholet turned 90* along 236802 north, sandy, AS130K, 1443. Changed B&W in camera, tried 90*note 14.50. Camera now at B in 4, K in 23. Last photo before turning E some drifts of same etc at coast at Cape Bertholet. Pilot estimates about 15 mls.

The study of the ..... seems to be very dense for Pindan - there are flowering acacias, ? cadeppents & pandanus in the creeks - well integrated with creeks.

Coming up to Beagle Bay 1457 [1K] [1BW] of much more typical Pindan.[1K][1B] of mangroves at Beagle Bay looking E. close into Bay.

Pindan in flower[2K][1B] cutting across to Pender Bay. Pender Bay turned East up Kelk Creek 150 about halfway along creek[1K] +[1B] (mudflats & kadgetty) up here there seems much less like pindan. Roos [K1] Donkeys (Bill) been at500 ft all the way so far.1512 Turned new course for Derby for about centre of peninsula 158* [1K] pindan with white .......[K1] Creek at Disaster Bay [B1] Big boas in midst of pindan 1520 Valentine Island coming up [B2] of Derby.

Derby

Documents (a) Postmaster : explain ..... decision (b) Alan Ridge (c) McGregor fossils for Kainzoic library freelists 21c for John Tozer (d) Glen Cairns Native Welfare (e) Jim Coleman. Basil McQuade, note Cencil Lands (?).

> 27th June
Take off from Derby. Before takeoff [2K] [2B] of the Prison Tree and of the Royal Flying Doctor Service tablet.

Meda Homestead , Mt Hart strip (Clearskin(?) directly overhead, very rough & broken country. Headwaters of Barker River. There is an old strip there, looks very interesting country, rough as blazes. Synnot Range, very big tableland country, huge breakaways down into narrow valleys with good waters.[K1] just short of Gibb River, photo towards SSE [K1] Gibb R. sandy bed, altitude 7000. Gally forest in headwaters of Durack R. [K1], Durack R. further downstream [K1]. END OF FILM.

Breakaways to the SE of the Gut(?) [K1]

[2K] View of Wyndham [1B], Wyndham town [1B] Meatworks. [K1] Rayes(?) with Ord River between [B1] Kununurra.

> 28 June 1964
Parry's lagoon on the ground. Echidna collected in Saw Ranges nr Wyndham, Mark Nevill, 1963 / 4 Christmas.

Took Halls Creek Rd to Kununurra [K2] in hills near Parry's Creek : Eucalypts on hills, boabs, colewoods(?), cassias & other deciduous trees in valleys [K1] between hills. Here less eucalypts and more deciduous [K1] from range of hills near creek to across the plain to Kununurra, white tipped post in picture, white top about 10 in.[3K] Dunham River Bridge +[1K] Bandicoot Br, Ord R.

> 29 June 1964
0520 Climbed Kelly's Knob in order to check reported fossil in the Precambrian quartzite on the top. Not a fossil.

0800 left Kununurra. 0838 bus(?) take off Wyndham, course 185*, 120 knots

0857 [K1] [B1] Gorge ? King R. Looley West along Cockburn Ra. 0905 140 knots, course 180*, 8000 ft. Turkey Creek looking west [K1] [B1]end of film. Violet Valley Country [all Kodachromes to date are probably out of focus] This is very dry country, looks like sandstone savannah, so much for the myth that the Wyalda country is high rainfall country. Now b&w.

[B1] Taken looking west, sandstone savannah country typical of Violet Valley crossed main road immediately afterwards. Country here dissected by creeks with lines of trees. Very broken country wide NS Ranges across the river. All these streams seem to be headwaters of the Ord. There is a peculiar small portal of sediments in a formation 10* from Halls Creek, 10-20 m. appears to lie among Precambrian. Trends NS on opposite side of river to the main ranges. Good exposures[Check this] Well west of main road, circles Halls Creek[K1] [B1]of town & looking west [2K] at low level looking oast. 0953 Air strip.

Examined skeleton at police stn., Aboriginal (?male)  caves in anthill burial. Moola Bulla Skeleton, Const. Dwyer (says burial ground nr. Mt. Burnet(?). Appleby says that there is another stn. Flora Valley.

Prospecting Company. Pickards Mather & co. Industrial. George Hanna Camp manager, Donald Perkin, geologist, Sydney. C. of PM Halls Creek, Don Ealey, Project Chief. Donald Perkin is a good one with a fine collection of pickup artifacts. They collect insects for New England.

Take off for Fitzroy Crossing by road route. Country seems to be mostly flat alluvial works with the remains of an old plateau along ... ... torn bits of breakaways looks rather like Nullagine country.

Koongie Park[Aboriginal Community] claypan country, Lamboo, May River [K1] [B1] flat burnt out country with rivers & long ranges in distance. Margaret R.[K1][B4] junction of May & Margaret [K1][B1] Louisa(?) Downs on Margaret R.[K1B1], Red Bluff & Mt Frank. Spinifex plain, gently undulating with N.s..fit... wood and small eucalypts.

1350 Red Bluff[K1B1] halfway between Red Bluff & Wolaria(?) Downs> [B3K] in gorge. Hancligan(?) Cliffs. Christmas Creek[1K]taken Cooley N. way from the station. Chestnut Bore, all of the country, green spinifex pindan(?) with small trees scattered about. Nipper Creek a gaggle of eucalypts across the plain, gigantic anthills & N..... everywhere.1420 [K2] Emanuel Ra.

> 30th June 64
John Greymark, Senior Constable, Norm Newland, Const [Inspector Gallagher Browne], Joy & Jack Sandford, Mrs Newland is a Mungton (?) girl, Bath St., Dulcie (Peg) Edgington (Cec Edgington, Hardware).

(saiwon) Wangillee (jillie) =cycles "golliwog" police native. Met Jim Clarks and Directu Liverings, Ted McLarty, Luluigui, Mac, McNamara. Jubilee Duncan Boston, Noonkan. They say that Karrabul are quite common on Luluigui and Liveringa country. Rabbits have been seen towards the end of the dry season on Jubilee by McLarty, Waciots (?) appear to be quite plentiful along the river country. Saw Jeff Rose on Quanbun and went up to Aligator Dam (now Jubilee Dam) also went to the dam futen made. There is a curious white conglomerate at Aligator Dam but not in the more northern of the dams, suspect that this is the material from which fossils obtained. Collected specimens, no bore (?) : 12804 - 12805 Geological catalogue. (Added) From examining these fossils on the occasion of their accession to the collection on 22/9/66, it appears probable that the site is the same as that visited by Douglas & Kendrick on 1/7/66 this is 12 miles by road from Fitzroy Crossing Post Office & I have endorsed the labels etc accordingly numbers are 66.884 to 66.898 GWK.

> 1 July
Drove out to exposures of Fairfield beds beyond airfield on road to Derby, collected front fossils. Take off [K2] of .... inn [K1] near trig hill [B1] at about 1000ft, climbing to make light near Alexander Island, 3000 ft triodia. The [K1]B1], long ridges of ? Fairfield beds exposed, on bearing strike 230* may be old sandhills. Jubilee Homestead [K1] on bend of river, taken looking over towards Jubilee Dam on Quanbun Downs (Aligator Tank). Ht 7000 Very broken range country over on the left i.e. south of the river i.e. Permian grant Fn of St. George's Range [K1].

Quite a lot of bare fidhill country red sand, remainder particularly to the west is sand and triodia. The bare sand is fine pattern [K1][B1], 8,200.The Bowns probably listing too far open.

Breakaways [K1][B1] capped with a hard crust of greenish more friable material beneath matches Springs.

Abeam of Mowla bluff, Edgar Ranges a very broken piece of country clear of the sandhills. Headwaters of Geegully creek[K1] [B1] Woyley slightly W. of Nack, 8000 [K1][B1]looking 150* Wapet track, vegetation the same as further east, long sandhills evenly spaced, very few chains. Study about +EW. Passing to the west of the most easterly of the salt lake chain of the extinct Tilgano river. Chain dunes seem to be very stable, vegetation in the links, almosts if the dune system is beginning to break down - in fact the chains are commonest towards the ends of the dunes. Crossing the salt lake system(most northern chain)have some of the chain dunes are beginning to blow out. There is water in the lakes and also in interclinal depressions. Change course to 230*, Ht 8000. Sandhills finish. Main channel of Talga R., sandhills start again.[K1]. Dunes now cleared to coast with fine change to sandhills clear. Sandhills finish. Open triodia plain with small isolated lumps of breakaway. Very much fire damage, whole square miles denuded. We have been flying along the outer edge of the sandhills. Low features with streams and vegetation in valleys, sandhills start again but we are only crossing the western end about a mile inland. Junction of Nullagine R., De Grey and Oakover River head. Passing east of small range of broken hills at headwaters of Calleon Creek [K1][B1] along DeGrey crossing Bamboo creek, photo in angle of range at about 250*.

Marble Bar town, Mines Office, 2000ft coming into land, looking SSW approx. Marble Bar Mr. B.H. Stubbs was the person responsible for the rabbit bandicoot. Have told him that Douglas and Butler will call.

Take off for Nullagine, course 150*. Crossed the Marble Bar hills and now on a flat spinifex plain to the west of very broken country. hills on NW of Nullagine, mostly rough country with spinifex and a few trees.[K1] tributaries of Nullagine River flowing eastwards on edge of hills less than 10 m. from Nullagine.[K1][K1][B1] Nullagine township. W  illiam M. McKinnon is reputed to be mining diamonds in the conglomerate. 74 Duckland St N. Perth.

> 2nd July 1964
Nullagine takeoff course 195*. East of Bonney Downs Homestead [K1] Roy Hill beds, breakaways n. of Roy Hill to the immediate W. of the road. Good exposures 8000Ft@140K. The Fortescue here flows west along a flat plain jumped up from the breakaway to the north. Looks very much like Mulga Downs country. Roy Hill directly underneath, photo taken west [K1][K1] Mt Newman and the Ophthalmia Range looking west. Eastwards flowing Fortescue round the top of the Ophthalmia Range. Spinifex and ironstone sand country with little relief.

Booloo Downs Homestead. Headwaters of the Ashburton R. Some flat slightly rolling spinifex country with trees along creeks. [K1][B1]8000 looking west. Collier Range[K2] looking west. Abeam of 3Rivers

Homestead. Flat ironstone sand country , spinifex some mulga. At Gascoyne R flowing westwards[K1][B1] looking west. Crossing highway south of Doolgunna Homestead & just south of Robertson Range. Course changed to 210* more  or less// add to east of road.

Sherwood and Yoothapina coming in to land at Meekatharra. Mulga to the north is v. patchy and seems to be very dry in the area drained by the many tributaries of the Murchison itself seems to be more dense to the west, east & south [K1][B1] Mulga is dense to the west, east & south but this may only be on deck.(Meekatharra). Take off for Leonora course 135*[K1][B1] looking south 3000ft. Passed Hillview, 7,500 (Real 6,200) Course 135* ASI. 140. Among Montague Range a very nondescript set of low breakaways down to a lower level. There is a curious little patch of (long N.S. dunes) on top of dunes?. Lake Mason : very poor exposures. A few small breakaways a mile or so from the northern bank. Lake itself has very gently sloping margin. Airstrip abeam, coming up for Leinster Downs, red soil with scattered mulga.

Lawlers. Coming up for Wildara above the main road to Leonora, largish creeks with eucalypts, remainder still seems to be gently undulating red soil with not very dense mulga and some sort of greyish low cover. Sturt Meadows Homestead [K1][B1] 4000 ft. Clover Downs & Lake Raeside in background, poor exposures, white river gums along creeks, grey foliage of shrubs? away from river must be mulga the shadows come right down to the ground[K1].

[K1][B1] of Gwalia & Leonora : Sons of Gwalia mine. Landing. Took [K&B] of mine, end of films.

Sons of Gwalia, Mr. R.A.Barden, general manager of Mine, Has first 10 folders of correspondence 1898-1904, including correspondence of Herbert Hoover 1st Agreement & between prospectus & S. of G. Mr Barden will leave here within six months.

> 3rd July 1964
Took[K] of mulga at aerodrome [B4] [new film], of mulga, grass, sticks and solanaceous plant. Up above Leonora, course 175* straight to Kalgoorlie. Dense mulga cover, Alt.6,000 looking west ; patches of ?eucalypt beginning to come in particularly along the shallow stream washes [K1][B1] looking west. Salt lakes  crossed ? skyline a few poor exposures at Radd-Western? and otherwise mostly gently shelving banks even creeks flowing in have very poor banks.

Mulga / eucalypt mixture looking west [K1][B1] suggest grey mulga - darker eucalypt. More lakes, still mixed mulga eucalypt. Descent begins.

[K1][B1]  2500 alt., [K1] of spoil heaps at mine on deck, Alt. 0900ft.

In air on way to Perth[K1][B1] two kinds of eucalypt, 1 green, 1 grey, green with shiny leaves & brown stems, grey with whitish stems.

Langford (Roger) luncheon ? bills - 9BF Sat.7-8.30  10.30 last call
Sundays 9.00 until traffic clears
2nd only 8-9.30
Instruction memos.
Back at Coolgardie turnoff to Norseman. Camped at side of rd. in mixed eucalypt, sheoak & spinifex.

> 2nd Jan 1965
Beautiful morning, strong breeze Nuyts tracks plentiful in sand, kangaroo droppings in the camp where they came in to investigate. Skad. 08.45 Away, camped between milepegs 371/2. Small lateratised breakaway on E. of road, seems to be derived from a schist. Small limestone concretions have been used for road making, reminiscent of Gogo. Collected bag full from 414 milepeg. Found gravel scraps in top of hill, e. side of road. This is where concretions came from, collected small sample. Norseman B.P., grey kangaroo dead on road. Fraser Ra. for lunch, examined grey dead on roadside. Balladonia Homestead, [35 m.] Shot Kabuck (?). John Eyre Motel, Caiguna, 1800 hrs., Cold wind. campeed for night vicinity of Twilight Cove reserve area. Open windgrass plain with scattered eucalypts, low and stunted looking rather like myall or dying mulga. Set of breakbacks with universal bait.

> 3rd Jan.(Sunday)
Night with very heavy dew. Rose at 4.30 with heavy mist, went round traps 3 m. misails (?) and one other trap set off. Small ants only, only one bait taken by them and the ants attacked the mice & not the other baits. [WR male 111], [WR female 112], [ preserved formalin, skull crushed][WR male 113] detailed description. Took photos of campsite looking W 7 N, limestone just below surface and ocasionally rubble ( seen in rabbit burrows) red soil with wind grass. Left camp at 7.00. Contacted Kalgoorlie R.F.D.Base passed message to Mundrabilla to say that we would call before end of day. Small eucalypt wood on top of low hill. Madura 3 gals. Mundrabilla no wombats on property, a few occasional "pets brought in by trappers", suggests Eucla will know. Two sorts of kangaroos on property, reds and scrub kangaroos (like a cross beyween the  Gryyada(?) and the red). Red dead on road. Old Eucla col. & b&w photos of building being covered by drifting sand. Eucla Motel, down Reid Rd to rabbit-trappers camp, freezer-operator says one wombat taken a few months ago but very rare this side of the border. Kangaroos common. On advice of rabbit trapper (freezer operator) we tried east down a road towards the border, the spot south of road a pothole v.deep, 2 grey kangaroos & a fox. Athol shot a grey female with furless joey so the grey goes right through the border [WR114], grey faced not melanop(?). Through gate in fence about 2 miles past an old shepherd's cottage & dam. Made camp in small copse on top of little rise.[WR114 fem.] with joey [physical description]. Set traps in vicinity of camp, very cold & strong SE wind, estimate low 60s & bitter. No moon, went spotting to Reid Rd. then N to Reid. First of all myall and bluebush then myall thins out and bluebush only with one saltbush. Foxes & rabbits plentiful, no kangaroos or wombats. Turned back to camp, Eucla.

> 4th Jan.
SA/WA border.

Shot kebada/dugite in formalin, First wombat burrow, about a doz. large holes s. of road, saltbush & broken down turn road(?). Left road and travelled south to examine extensive wombat colonies. Continued down line of scrub. Grey kangaroos numerous, shot female grey kangaroo with joey [WR115] (description). Bright day with a few clouds, v. windy, cool, no dew, tried to get through to VSQ, no luck, found wireless connection inside cone, unsoldered, resoldered, still poor reception, extended aerial on advice of Charlie Priddoux and got through to M message:
CAMPED BETWEEN EUCLA AND REID NO WOMBATS YET GREYS PLENTIFUL.
Athol skinned out the grey, an excellent skin, food, skull. Left camp for Eucla. Drove between 26 & 34 mileposts other side of Koonalda with spot. Saw a few wombats, collected 3(on Nullarbor Stn.): [WR116] [WR117] [WR118] include descriptions. On way back found generator u/s, got back at 3.30 just at first light.

> 5 Jan, Tuesday
Spent morning recovering from night before trying to get generator to work, in the end gave up getting it off and put all together again. It worked for a few minutes then seized. Got through to VJQ informed them that we will try to get to Eucla tonight. Charlie says that we will ask Eucla to come out if we are not in by the morning. Athol spent day skinning wombats. Ready to move in late afternoon, will try to get to Eucla with slipping fanbelt on seized generator. Trip to Eucla uneventful. Generator completely seized but belt slipped satisfactorily and lasted the journey. Got in at dusk and camped opposite Gurneys. Harry Gurney will see what he can do next day. We must get on to Forrest to see if we can collect the meteorite.

> 6 Jan. Wed.
Got generator fixed, all OK, new replacement for [?], bearings completely shot. Left Eucla for Reid. Trappers camp Diamond Ice. In middle of Nullarbor saltbush wide & a few low desert willows(?) about 3 ft higher. Saw 3 Reds, Douglas & I shot one after a chase, male[WR119] detailed description. Very unpleasant road, concealed boulders in roadside, busted hubcap and blew one tyre, hope we do not do another. Arrived Reid.
Drove on to Forrest, Arrived Forrest and camped at the bendy of the aircraft wireless installation.

> 7 Jan (Thursday)
Camp at Forrest, Up at 0500 Breakfast etc., left Forrest milepost 707.5. Trees. Called VSQ, got through, told them of our events, met railway gang(SPAUI) at a milepost on the line. Bore W. The remains of an old bore to the north of the line, this is at milepost 727.5-728. Found track bearing north east at milepost 733-733.5, identified it with the track in map (3) in relation to Bore W. Left railway line(733.5) Photography of track. A few trees investigated, no camp. Back on track. We took left fork (small cairn) sighted line of trees at southern edge. Arrived at Duga with remains of rabbitohs camp, a very remarkable place, dune vegetation, photos, searched the camp on the left of the road, principle feature an old Bedford ute. No sign of meteorites. Decided that we must be on the wrong track - noone could mistake 10 miles for 20, suspect McCall has got the wrong track on the map because our track is certainly the track marked (on map 3), besides which distances on the 3 maps do not agree. Decided to return and see if there is another Duga 10 m. north of the railway but west of this track ; i.e. closer to the Mundrabilla siding leaving the railway at milepost 736. Left Duga. Blowout . Got tyre off and found the tube completely shot. Got yesterday's off and found the same. Decided to lie up in the heat of the day and then when it got cooler to see what could be done about packing the most damaged of the old tyres. Very hot indeed, went to sleep for an hour or so. Much cooler. Got old tyre packed with both tubes, all the hessian, woodwool and saltbush we could cram in and started gently in low ratio 4 wheel drive. Tyre finally stripped off - at any rate we saved ourselves 5 miles.

Decided, since only 10 miles to go to the Trans line, to walk. Left a note* with the vehicle saying what we had done, took plenty of water and sufficient tucker and got cracking, left at 7.10, 10.00pm arrived at Trans-line at 7331/2 milepost, walked on to 734. The ankle I damaged last year was playing merry hell. Decided to camp and then to go on to the single-men's camp at Mundrabilla next morning. Found a pile of sleepers to break the wind, had tins of tomato juice.

> 8th Jan 1965 (Friday)
A very cold and unpleasant night, biting wind and no blankets, ground v. hard and stony. Up at midnight and lit a fire - too tired to do this before. Rest of the night more or less sleepless. In the morning (sunrise at 3.00) decided to have breakfast and then John and Athol to walk to Mundrabilla (milepost 742) a distance of 8 miles. They left at 4 o'clock. 5.53 goods train went by, did not stop ! Just decided to go and find the shade of a small desert willow some 1/2 mile away when a trolley hove in sight, Athol and John aboard, got in and they took us to 327 mile peg where the Road boss John Martin and the yank foreman of the Forrest gang met us. The yank ferried us in to Forrest. John Cooper officer-in-charge of DCA was very decent. He offered to run Athol out to the vehicle in his car and to try and get a tube for the spare. They got one much too small and left.

Got through to Bob Vincent on the phone. He will send tyres out on the first goods tonight, he will also book me in on the express tomorrow morning if possible. Athol and John will have a shot at finding the "6 mile track" and will then come home by their own route. [Plas of new mine wing not be in hands of architect on Wed.]

Sent telegram to Eucla to tell them that we will not be returning and to send the generator to Madura. Apologies to the rabbit trapper at Diamond Ice and a request to try to get the blood to Perth or to dump it. Drove out to the land rover with John Cooper in his Austin sedan ! a very difficult job indeed, hit the sump several times. Tried to move the landrover with a tube borrowede from a Vanguard Station wagon - and got four miles before it blew out as well. Came home in the evening too late for tea. Had a shower and I had a drink and played bridge with the boys.[Text of telegram 10/-]

> 9th Jan '65 (Saturday)
Train arrived late 11.00 instead of 9.15, a hot morning (c.106). What a shock and how stuffy the airconditioning feels. Met several people on board, an entertaining bunch. Jock Heard - a dentist, R.C., wife & 6 children settling in Perth from Vic. [ list of expenses of train journey].

> 10th Jan 1965 (Sunday) Arrived Perth 2.30.
Added at back of notebook : Notes on the Meteorite types
These maps comprise:
(1) A sketch provided by Dr J.W. Thornton from information from David Ritchie (presumably a patient of his) note on back "Boulder surrounded by many bits on top of a rise bluebush on top of a hillock in ..... limestone gibber"; "one main fragment possibly over a ton, several smaller pieces of a few cwt, many small pieces ranging down to gravel size." see sketch near railway line Loongana Stn., 33 miles to single mens' camp.
Next page: map including same site with information added from verbal reports passed on.
Next page: Sketch map by Ride based on his observations.
Sketch map of region with previous information and proposed future work.

> Friday 2 Sept.
Mellenbye to Morawa to check on the  water pump which had lost a waterbag full of water since we left Perth. Morawa - went to the former Rover agents - they have given up the agency, then to Bevans. Water pump by now running like a tap, obviously u.s., considerable play, scared of putting the fan through the radiator. Rang Faulls. They promised to send up a complete new pump assembled.  Rang Grant Inglis to tell him of the pump and also that I was worried about gearbox bearings and tail shaft, told him if he was agreeable, I would use the vehicle on these but watch oil level to Perth. He said to go ahead. Rang Nan, she advised contacting Don & Diana Reid of Western Mining re a vehicle. They lent us a Nissan Patrol as flawed as mine in Koolanooka, camp at Ederga.

> Saturday 3 Sept.
Drove to Morawa to return Nissan, fill up tank, I .... gearbox, new water pump repair kit  sent up from Faulls, they sent up the wrong kit for the vehicle, phoned Faulls to ask for advice and told them I could have misread the [numbers]. They advised me to try to remove the kit from the pump and fit it into the old casting. Bevan's mechanic did this - a hell of a job. Fitted new fan belt, radiator hose then found the sheet of paper on which I had written the no. I had given to Faulls and I was correct after all & John Julian must have made an error. Drove back to the Ederga after leaving a note for Don and Diana them for offering to lend us a horse (house?). Camped at Ederga, walked out the exposures near the camp, no new finds although quite some change to the exposure due to the 1963 floods. Quite a warm night. A large centipede and small walked across the campsite, wolf spiders walking, collected the centipede.

> Sunday 4 Sept
Camp at Ederga R. Barnong Stn, picked up end of the Murchison. Mellenbye homestead to let them know that we are off. They have told Ken and Olive White at Billabalong that we are on the way. Dropped in on Neil & Judy Mitchell at Barnong, they have bought a house in Chester Rd. Claremont.

Mullewa. Bad journey up from Mullewa, engine ok but gearbox badly overloading with constant loss of oil.  Stopped at intervals to cool off, began to wonder if we would arrive ok. Crossed Murchison soon after dark, tried to find John Kelsall's old camp but quite impossible in the dark with a lot of surface water lying around on the soft clay.

Decided to go up to the New Forest turn off. Camped about 1/2 mile along it & to south[?] of road. Fair place but exposed, wind, cold but no insects and not too unpleasant at night. large centipede, striped, walked across campsite. Preserved in formalin.

> Monday 5 Sept
Drove down to river and then made way along to a prominent bluff on N bank where the river takes its first really major bend west of the White's loc.90*. Made camp and turn left M. and the children while Jim and I went back to the New Forest turnoff camp and collected gear and moved to the bluff. Made camp. Collected small Demansia in litter in small creek bed. Went for walk downstream from camp, found a small piece of zygomatic in too fragments in soft red ? plastic immediately above the level of the green grit at the entrance of a little creek at the eastern end of the Nototherium[?] seepul[?] & cliffs, obvious float, but unable to trace origin. Collected it, found a small section of bone protruding from shelf at top of green grit about 1ft above water level, excavated ? tibia of macropod. [Sketch of section of tibia location] soon after his location (ie west of it) the sequence peters out. Back to camp, had some target practice with boys. A cold and windy night, 1 blanket + sleeping bag not enough.

> Tuesday 6 Sept
Spent morning walking down to the bridge from camp.c 800* to reexamine the Whites' loc., no further fossils exposed. Several very good workaling[?] sites with numerous flakes, hammer stones etc. eroding out of the red earth in the top of he north bank, best is about 100-300 w.of the road. Mudlark nest not complete, birds still at it. Find implements[?] in a gravel on top of the green grit at the same level as Whites Nototherium[?] but (was later) convinced that it is a plaster. Collected dec ? tibia of macropod and other fragments (ie metacarpal and zygomatic). [sketch of site with distance from tibia]

Seds [Edwin] had made a fish trap - own design - and caught some Atherines, preserved these together with a small spangled perch caught by Seds after leaving his rod propped up in a forked stick. Drove out to Billabalong homestead, surprised to find that Olive & Ken White were not there but the Robinsons (owner) came up from Denmark where they have bought a 7000 acre cattle property between Denmark and Walpole Inlet on the flats. Robinson's first wife (the one that was killed in the Nullarbor crash about 4 years ago) was Nan Broad's (nee Butcher) cousin. Ken White & his brother were on a property near Northampton and Robinson persuaded them to take over Billabalong. The place is vastly improved since I was last up. It is carrying 20,000 head instead of Campbell's 11,000 and they certainly look good - although seasons have been good. He has built a nice manager's house for the Whites and they plan to put in a swimming pool. Will be a place well worth a visit. Robinson's very kind: gathers that No 2 wife was a nurse at RPH, 4 daughters of first marriage, 1 of second, hopeful again. Robinson very interested in work on fossils and in meteorites. planned to have details of Woolgorong meteorite & of White's Nototherium. Says that there are even better exposures of Murchison cement up in Beringarra, his other property. Robinson has asked me whether I had seen the black cylindrical objects "some kind of meteorite" with "rounded ends" about 2" long from the Salt Bush Plain near the Northern Boundary of Hill Springs Stn (Jack Maslen the present owner will be able to direct) between 10 & 5 miles NNE of the homestead towards Widdalya Stn (Hill Sp end of Boolagaroo). Back to camp, put up tent against wind.

> Wed 7th Sept.
Tent a success, a very reasonable night, packed up camp. Seds went fishing without success. Left campsite at 12.30 for the bridge where we will have lunch. Had lunch at bridge, parked vehicle immediately to E. of bridge on N. bank. Extensive exposures of eroding surface which means artifacts, most common recognizable kind is a backed blade.

Successful fishing, quite big Spangled Perch, will strike at moving bait. All caught some and Seds now happier. His rod's useless but he used mine after I cast for him. Next time must make sure that we have floats, timber not desirable. Preserved 3 good specs in formalin.

[reports of fuel use].Passengers' names : Seds, Sue, Pete, Cath, M [wife] & self.

Last page at Back : Duncan Merrilees list of petrol stops and distances and directions from Billabalong to Coolarburloo Pool (spring).

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.

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.

> 20:2:1967
8.16 am left Esperance for Seal Rock in Recherche Archipelago with W.G.H., JEK, Nilse & Perry Blumen.
10.30 arrived Seal Rock. W.G.H. & J E K shot 3 females [HH29] [HH30] [HH31] 4 p. of physical description of shot seals. 2 dead seal pups collected, 1 partial skeleton, 1 skull, 1 scapula and humerus, 1 femur. Botanical samples taken - nothing in flower except small plant with blue flower (??). Shells collected, crabs (2spp.) coll. 2.30 left for Esperance. 7 Cape Barren Geese seen on Boxer Isl. on way home. 6 pm. Arrived Esperance - travelled to Gibson.

> 21:2:1967
9am-10am. sorted material. 10.30 went to Esperance, sent skins M.M.A., 11.30 left with MacKenzie, with Nilse etc.for the Islands, very choppy sea - very wet. 2.30 arrived Seal Rock, landed. Bill shot shot male bull, no ....[?] in specimen cos of difficulty in landing gear[HH32]. Collected a number of shelches[?] etc. 4.0 Boarded boat, 7.0 Arrived Esperance.[ 2 pp. of detailed description of seals.]

> 22 : 2 : 67
Judith decided not to go out to islands as weather very windy
12.0 We drove to Cape Le Grand, walked around area, no seals sighted. Collected snails (Bothriembryon). On return trip collected Coxiellas at various salt pan & lake localities.

> 23 : 2 : 67
10. 0 am Left Gibson for Chillinup [?] Collected Coxiellas at all localities with water in creeks. 5.30 pm arrived Chillinup.

> 24 : 2 : 67
9.30 Left for Cheyne Beach to meet D. Purdue [?] Fisheries Inspector. Observed salmon fishing, collected a dead Hair Seal, looked all afternoon for live one. Rocks at end of Cheyne Beach - no luck ? two dead specimens.
5.0 pm arrived Chillinup.

> 25 : 2 : 67
7.30 am Left with Keith & Ruth Mair (& their boat) for Bremer Bay. Easterly wind.
10.30 am Went out to have a look at Glasse Is. Saw 3 Hair seals, couldn't land - seas too choppy. Most enjoyable day swimming. On return trip to Chillinup searched around Pallinup for snails. Found B. dux about 1 1/2 miles S. of Pallinup R. bridge on Albany/Jerramungup rd. No Coxiellas in Pallinup R.

> 26 : 2 : 67
10.0 left Chillinup, travelled to Perth via Albany / Denmark / Bridgetown & Berwick. 8.15 pm Arrived Perth.
 
 

> 28th August 1967 (Monday)
Listened to VSQ and let them know we were out again. John Flower gave me the Sched ties for Meekatharra. Walked down to exposure gave it a v. close examination. Nothing new, decided that I will sieve exposures after making sure that this is Bert's. Bob will walk upstream to Ederga Springs & see what he can make of it. Walked back to vehicles to get news and came up on Sched to VKS and let Thelma know we are in the area and will listen on 40.10 at 0700 for any telegrams. Back to river. Walked downstream past fenceline to where stream broadens out , turned back. Walked over top of small hill on E bank of River to see if there are any sediments. No luck at all. All metamorphosed pyrites, schists, vein quartz etc. Hopeless.

Hill, in former times there must have been an edge to this broad valley. Will have to go out to the hills right over to the west & see what we can see there. Lunch at 2.15 Bob back from his walk to Ederga Springs. He did not quite get there. He met Neil Mitchell and told him that I am camped at my usual place & would be calling to see him later in the day. We found no fossils but frustrated because the deposits look as though they should be good.

3.30 Drove out to Ederga Springs and walked out due west of the exposure not seen by Bob. Drove over to Barnong and was invited to stay for the evening meal. Judy in good form, just missed Geoff & Carol Bolton who had been there to stay & left the day before. Judy spent evening showing her rock collection including a great deal of nice fossil bood[?] from the Kennedy Range. Looks as though it could be worth a visit. Neil has a pilot on the station at present mustering (at 400 ft! - 4200 acres) they are trying it as an experiment & it seems to be working. I think that we may hire the aircraft to look at exposures - $25 per hour.

Excitement. News this evening announced that the Govt. had approved the Cultural Centre project which our committee has put up. The museum building will be completed by the end of 1969. Back at camp.

> 29th August 1967 (Tuesday)
Camped at Ederga. A misty morning after a heavy dew. Bright sunlight & clear sky. Tried Sched with Meekatharra - theirs is so clumsy for a station like ours that I switched over to VSQ on S360 at 7.30. 1 telegram.
GEORGE PHONE 284411 PERTH
WONDERFUL NEWS MANY THANKS TO DOEPEL AND YOURSELF STOP PLEASE SEND 8WNX MEEKATHARRA TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS SIR THOMAS : RIDE.
When I get time I will send to SIR THOMAS MEAGHER MV KOOLAMA DERBY DELIGHTED NEWS NEW BUILDING APPROVED STOP PLEASE ACCEPT THANKS OF MUSEUM STAFF AND SELF FOR ALL YOUR SUCCESSFUL GUIDANCE DAVID

Looked over maps and decided on a flight plan. Bob most difficult over it - he is unable to make up his mind what to fly. In the end I worked out a plan which takes in all the upper parts of the Wooramel and the Gascoigne which cut through Tertiary sediments. Drove over to Barnong and fixed things up with the pilot (Harry Van Wees) who phoned Perth & made a booking. Went to Gullewa. Photos of Red-backed Spider [C4005-9]. Back to the Ederga, 2 photos of Gense[?] on the way, he maintained 25 mph for over a mile [C4010-11].

Sent telegram: TERRELL PHONE 284411 PERTH
 HAVE BOOKED AIRCRAFT 21ST PLEASE CONFIRM WITH MURCHISON AIRCHARTER HAY ST. : RIDE.

Set mist net over the Ederga. Bob walked over south of camp and found a wonderful artifact, like a stone bullroarer. Had a good meal and turned in about 22.30 hrs, a clear warm night.

> 30th August 1967 (Wednesday)
A clear crisp morning with the smoke lying low like mist. Nothing for me at either Meekatharra or Kalgoorlie beyond a query for VSQ about someone who might have been in our party - but he was not. Nothing in the mist net. Bob caught a gecko in firewood, preserved in formalin.
Drove out over the other side of the Ederga to see if we could get to the breakaways seen a few miles to the East. These look as though they could be sediments.

Telegram sent to TERRELL PHONE 284411 PERTH
NO REPLY YET MY REQUEST FOR SIR THOMAS TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS : RIDE.

Walked over to the breakaways - a complete dead loss, these are diorite. All the hills are schists, quartz, diorite and generally much metamorphosed. Took 2 colour photos of the Ederga looking SE from a hill about a mile south of the road [C4012,3]. After lunch drove back up to the Yalgoo road to walk out the sediments in the main channel of the river.

Telegram from Bob Terrell. 255 pm 30th, Perth.
DR RIDE. 8WNX SIR THOMAS MEAGHER ARRIVES DERBY 1ST WYNDHAM 4TH SEPT ADDRESS MV KOOLAMA AT EITHER PORT STOP NO COMMUNICATIONS AT SEA : TERRELL.

While walking out exposures light aircraft flew over and dropped message from Harry Van Wees to say that he will stand by at Barnong from 7am for the charter. No luck at the exposures. Back to camp at nightfall. Took down the mist net, too windy.

> 31st August 1967
Camped at Ederga on Barnong Stn. Drove out to Barnong at 07.15 but pilot not yet there due to having to refuel at Yalgoo. Sent telegram to Sir Thomas Meagher through VSQ.

Aeroplane arrived at 08.30 but we delayed take off because of drizzle and low cloud. Did not appear to be any better in the N.W. so took off at 9.00 in Piper Comanche. Cruised railway line at Wurarsa. Woolgorong [2C   ] at Murchison bridge Nototherium locality. Flew on up river. Good exposures between the bridge at Billabalong homestead. These will be worth doing. Probably best done from the northern end. 0935. Nothing worthwhile between Billabalong homestead and Twin Peaks. Good pitch in bend of river (Western side) closest to Meeberrie Homestead. Rain closing in. Decided to go up the road to the testing at Byro. Mt Narryer, Byro. No exposures visible. Innovealdy[?] on Wooramel River. Turned up river from NE boundary of Byro. Mogil [?] SP. Flew along river , v. poor exposures to Irrida Pool then N. to Landor. Flew downstream along Gascoigne R. to Mt. Puckford. Excellent exposures, flew and took photos. Seems to be limestones[?] underlying inclusion cement [?]. Well worth a visit [C   ], on to Mt. Steere, a strange looking hill on the N. side of the river, took photos [C   ]. 11.10 Strange looking breakaway near Yinnietharra, 11.20 Mt Sandiman. 11.45 Reached Merlinleigh Homestead. [C    ]. Flew down along the Kennedy Range, seems to be a sandstone in lower part. The thing must dip because as you go further south[?] it rises in the range. Possible that this is the Permian and the paler beds overlying it are the Merlinleigh Sandstone. If so, these are excellent exposures in the vicinity of the homestead. Turned East towards Lyons River homestead. Kennedy River seems to be covered on top with dunes & spinifex. Lyons R. Homestead. Flew S.W. to Gascoyne, very flat no good exposures here. Pilot says same all the way down to Carnarvon. Photos at Weedarra homestead. Left river setting course for Wooramel at Callatharra. Fuel flow began to drop off and loss of engine power - down to 50%. Electric fuel pump makes no difference. CARY Downs airstrip within easy reach. Down at Cary Downs 12.00 hrs. Harry and I walked over to the homestead, noone in - all at the races. Eventually found a gin who said she would get us something to eat if we needed it. Walked back to plane and called through to D.C.A. asked for another plane for Carnarvon.

Plane arrived (another Comanche) and we took off for Barnong about 3.00 leaving the u.s. machine on the ground. Had a ride to end at Barnong & drove back to the camp. Shot rabbit for evening meal and decided to go North next morning to look at the exposures at Mt. Puckford and at Merlinleigh. Will do those at Billabalong some time later.

> 1Sept 1967 (Friday)
Camped at Ederga. A beautiful sunny morning. Packed up and left for Mullewa at 10.45 Mullewa : 20 1/2 gals. super, checked tyres, had lunch, left at 1400 hrs for Billabalong Crossing. 95 milepost from Mullewa. 908.7 Sand dune, first seen near road, close to a large claypan full of water, red dune. Narrayer turnoff. Muggan turnoff on left. Empty tank. 154 miles on tea full 10 gal tank. Filled up with 2 jaeercans. This seems to be a normal consumption with trailer on gravel roads in speeds of 50-55 mph. 160 m. Road junction. Byro homestead, looked at exposures in bed of creek south of homestead. seems to be poor exposures c. 6" of Murchison cement seem no obviously tertiary exposures. Occasional quartz slaus[?] and Permian breakaways away to the West. Should have come into the 10 mile Carnarvon sheet - getting dark. Turnoff on left to Stations on the coast at Shark Bay, Woodleigh & Carsla. Innouendy turnoff. Wooramel River, poor exposures of a light grey stone - did not stop in dark. Turnoff near Gascoyne Jun. road at signpost to Glenburgh 2 miles, Dalgety Downs 14 m.. Gate signpost D.Downs 12 miles road goes right along a fenceline to Glenburgh straight on to D. Downs. Camped in a creek alongside Precambrian hills of quartz. 21 hrs. Warm night, howling wind from N.

> 2nd Sept 1967 (Saturday)
Camped between Glenburgh & Dalgety Downs.
8008.1 Sched with USQ. Charlie back we are getting through very well "Booming"! Telegram to Margaret - husen[?] closed.
RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH WORKING VICINITY LANDOR PLEASE INFORM TERRELL MONDAY
LOVE : DEE.

It was a warm night, rain about 5am just a sprinkle but enough to make me pull a groundsheet over. Breakfast in a dried creek bed, surrounded by Precambrian outcrops. Off to Dalgety Downs at 10.00. Dalgety Downs homestead : Eastern boundary of Dalgety Downs, turned north along a mill track along the west side of the boundary fence. Passed one mill and then an old disused well with pole & windlass & then on to a corner in the paddock nearest to Mt. Puckford. No gate. Decided to go back to Landor because we could mess around with fence lines and get nowhere.Arrived at Landor. Noone in except a cook with hair in curling pins.

We asked if the race course was on the road to Mt Augustus (obviously everyone at the Landor Races) "I don't know" but if you follow the tracks" - I asked if one of the gates led to Yimmietharra (to get to the river). "He was asking me because I don't know"!!

Drove to the Races, met Ainsley & David Stedman of Dalgety Downs. Ainsley v. hospitable ! wants us to stay for the party. Saw their boss Puckford lose, lets hope the Mount of that name does better for us. A chap called McDonald mentioned fossil wood but Bob let him get away. Will try to catch him tomorrow. Also met Will   . Ainsley gave us a map of directions to River.

Left races. Landor Homestead. Across river turn rt off Meekatharra Rd to Dalgetty Downs. reach Dalgetty Downs boundary. Go through run through. Turn N along the fence line past mill. Just before reaching old well go through gate in fence (this is still Dalgetty Downs). Left trailer, put in jerrican.

Continued staying along the fence line for about 1/2 mile & thendiagonally across the paddock. Full of dead snake wood. Light going fast. Go to Gregory creek : high breakaways. this is a tributary of the River and joins it just near the Mt Puckford sal. Camped. Mud-map provided by Ainsley Stedman. [Map of area].

Had a quick look at the section before light failed altogether. The top is grey calcareous and sometimes siliceous cement - a duricrost about 5-10 feet thick. Underneath it is a softer material. Sometimes I suspect a breakdown product in the latugertin[?]  profile, other times there appears to be bedded sandstone. Bob found gneiss (Precambrian) in the bottom. If this is Tertiary it is probably Pre-Miocene but does not look terribly good for fossils. Reminds me very much of the Oakover beds.
Very tired. Turned in at 20.00 hrs.

> 3rd Sept (Sunday)
Camped above Gregory Creek/Gascoyne River (see below) in Dalgetty Downs Eastern Boundary. Rabbits, Dingo, Marloo, Emu.
[4031-2] camp.[4033-4] Breakaways below camp showing gneissic basement rock
[4035-6] Relationship of mudstones & sandstones  to gneiss.

Walked on to Mt. Puckford to try to reach the breakaway at junction of Gregory Creek. Climbed Mt. Puckford. Photos [4101-2], back i.e. S towards camp to show relationship of beds to the river.[4102] back  (N) towards Mt. Gascoyne. View from top shows that our camp is approx 4 miles (1 hr 10 mins. straight walk) from Mt Puckford and on the river about 1/2 miles N of junction of river and Gregory Creek. The exposure of sediments from a peninsula bounded on the East by Gregory Creek and the Gascoyne & in the West by a claypan. Walked straight back to camp, time 1hr 10 mins. After lunch walked S. along the river [C4104] Exposures S. of camp. The top beds of silica seem to overlie directly an evaporite of platelike al spicular crystals with massive opaline silica deposited within it. Sequence seems to be: [Sketch of deposits from Duricrost of silica down to gneiss at base.]

Collected blocks of mudstones about 4 ft. above the gneiss 1/2 mile N of camp for pollen estimation by B E Baker. [4105] Snakewood near camp. Packed up and drove back to race-track to see if we could get fuel. Made camp across road from racetrack.

> Monday 4th Sept. 1967
Camped on other side of road from Landor Racecourse. Drove over to racecourse to see Ainsley and David Stedman. Ainsley was able to arrange for 8 gals of fuel for us enough to get us across to Gascoyne R.

Flat tyre soon after leaving. 

Turn off Meekatharra Rd to Dalgetty Downs. Bidy of Dalgetty Downs - trailer brake gone. Check at mill & holding paddock before D.D. homestead. The usual sequence of loess-like blocks on the top, red grit and green grit below repeated here. Only about 3 feet of exposures & no sign of fossils. Remarkable how uniform this sequence is over 1000s of squ miles of W.A. from the Oakover (DeGrey) to the Ederga. Bed of river, had lunch [C4106,7]  Dalgetty Brook, trib of Gascoyne.

Mooloo Downs turnoff. This is east of the fenceline of the Dairy Creek homestead paddock and not West as mapped in the 10 mile series. Dairy Creek homestead N. of river. Crossed river and joined Mullewa Rd. Low grey breakaways about a mile away, look like Tertiary or Quaternary sediments probably those mapped as Naddara from McWhere et al.

Tertiary equivalent of Oakover ; BMR Bull Courtney[?]. Drove over to iken[?] clearing & kangaroo on way [B&W]. He kept up 30 mph for a considerable distance (Marloo, m.).
[4108] These are a ring of breakaways around the southern edge of a clay pan feature of crabhole country and clay. They consist of evaporates containing[?] silicified bands of a thin silica on the top. they seem to be intrdiate[?] in character of deviant form[?]. Between the evaporates of Lake Baker and those of the Gregory Creek (or Oakover) beds. I think that in these sands a tentative guating[?] eye is justified. No frills.

Back on road i.e.  next breakaway is 1 mile S. of road.

Arrived at Gascoyne Junc. 281/2 gals of fuel. Got hold of mechanic and stripped off both trailer brake-drums. These are a mess. Both sets of bearings are very dry and it is clear that the whole set-up is most inefficient; the toggle only expands one of the shoes and these are very small indeed. Merv Johns the mechanic says that he thinks that they came off an English make of car, possibly a Vauxhall or a Morris Minor ! One toggle cam has pulled out altogether - a complete mystery. I left the other side in and  he will try to copy it. Repacked the bearings and reassembled trailer. Merv meanwhile repaired the tyre. Becoming very clear that for working use Michelins are no good because of their very thin walls. The steel only runs through the tread and they are useless where stakes are liable to go through. Put a small patch on the wall but it really needs welding. No small criss-cross patches available.

Had a drink and left the junction at 22.10. Lyme River/Mt. Sandiman boundary. Camped in stunted mulga for night. A clear cool but not cold night. 0030hrs. NOTE: In Gascoyne Jun. met a couple of stone collectors who said that a small party of Fremantle Rock Collectors  (some club or other) had been through and that they had a fossil"flying lizard", Address of the person with the fossil: Richard House, 3 Dunkley Ave., Applecross. He will be in Perth on the 11th.

> 5th Sept (Tuesday)
Camped at Mt. Sandiman Stn south of homestead. 6.45 up. A lovely morning, slight wind from East. Sched: Spoke to Ruth & Margaret Hogg. No sign of Athol's toolkit. Charlie says that he has now rectified trouble in 6675 and, in future, will be using that for all scheds except 07.30. Suggests that I check it later in the day. Turnoff to Minnie Creek on right. Mt Sandiman homestead. Met [manager] who said that he will drive us out to a paddock where there are lots of fossil wood in the Merlinleigh boundary.

Right fork goes to Mulgerie & Willinby. Woolshed end yards. Did not go through gate into enclosure but west and north of paddock to a gate at the N.W corner. Through gate. Wooden gate on Merlinleigh boundary, turned N. along fence line to corner in fence and then East for small distance. Left fence line, turned South into open paddock with a little mulga and smaller gibbers, also much-silicified fragments of shell.

Back at fence-line. Climbed hill.

Description of hill at 24.8:

The breakaway seems to consist almost entirely of Permian shales and mudstones. Much crossbedded. White in colour with bands of purple and some with ferruginized bands. At the base there is a grey mudstone which contains in some places small Chonetes brachiopods. The higher-up ferruginized bands contain spirifecs and productids. About 8ft from the top there is a coarse pebble layer with silicified wood, at least 3 species of polycepeds, Aturia. Fossils are not plentiful. The matrix is rather variable ranging from sands to a fairly coarse pebble conglomerate. This is obviously the Tertiary Merlinleigh Sandstone. It is Lagorchestes[?] on the top.

After lunch we went back down the breakaway from Merlinleigh homestead and walked around the breakaway to the east. V. poor exposures of the M. sandstone. As far as can be seen, completely unfossiliferous. They tend to pick out to the south and are thickest in the northern ends of the breakouts, most interesting finds were a number of v. large rounded stones of reef quartz and quartzites. These can only be glacial ; there are traces of a large coarse pebble (or small boulder) bed at the same level. Seems little doubt that this is a Permian tillite. It seems to be about 1/3 up the section - rather surprised that it is so high. Photographs south along the Range[4109-11]. Back to the homestead. Rather depressed by the poor quality of the beds.

Found owl (Boobook) roosting in the remains of the bathroom. Good owl pellets.
 Took b&w of the owl in tree outside where he flew to get away from us. Took 2
 c. of a large spider's web and also 1 c. of two crested pigeons on the edge of
 the water tanker.[4112,13,14].

Dimitri's which was closed and we went to another cafe. Cromer[?] says that Robinson is now trying to make friends with him but he is very angry about the article in the Skin Divers magazine written by Robinson. He confirmed the story about the detonators and advised us that the road north through Murchison shire[?] would be out of action. He says that it is probable that the truth about the bullion[?] is mid way between Robinson and friends. He admitted that he had been playing down the Robinson story. He is particularly anxious that the -----[?] should not be stampeded. To bed.

> 15 July Monday Geraldton
Marquis Hotel. Filled up with petrol, all tanks. Drove over to fill up. Met Max Cromer[?] who told us that he had seen the postum from Kalbarri who said that the road to Murchison Housewas u.s. - river too high. Also the country around Gie Gie flooded. Said that Murchison House was on the phone. Frank lors[?] rang Murchison House (McClintock) who confirmed and said that Eurardy would also be impossible & suggested that we go up through Tamala. Drove out to the airport & picked up Colin Jack-Huiston, Harry Buglin[?] and Bob Beveridge  (hired for the job). Took them down to the docks and saw them set up for the Blue Dolphin and set off ourselves.

Called at the Police Station for Colin Dower (CIB Det. Sergeant who acendines us) to report in. Met Sgt Alan Trigwell & Det. Const. Frank Kirby who have been investigating the Geraldton end of the thing. Trigwell is a keen coin collector and has a lovely piece from the Batavia which he showed me. Left Geraldton about 10.30. Called at Billabong Roadhouse for lunch, 91/2 gals. Shark bay turn off. 1400hrs.

Fork left for Tamala (signpost 30 miles)
Fork left (right fork signposted to The Loop)
Fence and gate.
Met Bill Hughes and Mrs Gervais. Extremely helpful. He is manager and she is ?; they came here from Ashburton Downs when that place was sold up. Before that they were in? Yeeda. He was most helpful and drove with us through the Tamala country to get us through the gates. They work through Carnarvon Flying Doc. call sign 8 FOXTROT ROMEO.
Homestead gate. Through this and then to South.
Gate
Cocky gate
Cocky gate Fork right
Cocky gate about 90* through : left fork.
Through cocky gate into sheep pen in corner of paddock then out of sheep pen and along fence line [sketch]
Fork left

Natta outcamp, a tin shed with mill some distance from it, al troughs. Bill Hughes left us to go in from here. This is a fantastic paddock with high grass and clover right through. They are supposed to have 6-7* and they already had 16 ins this year. Drive on down, reached windmill at, obviously took wrong turn. Came to a fork among some white gums obviously went wrong here through following the rain mill track. Turned left this time instead of right [1 mile should be deleted for all moments of distance from Tamala to the wreck site]
Fork left
Gate in fence
Tank with shelter catchment
Tank with shelter catchment
Multiple tanks with shade
Single tank
Single tank with good water and clean catchment

Post in sight of track in open heath ; turned off main track to Murchison House towards the sea - very rocky track.
On top of cliffs

There is a howling westerly blowing - obviously a bad place to camp. Drove back up the track to a spot out of the wind in the trees (ti-tree) and bedded down. Had good meal of T-bone steak & potatoes. Caught a kangaroo-tick crawling up into ace milk mixer which was put down on the ground - very tricky country this coastal sandplain and sun.

Turned in at about 10.00 pm.

> 16 July (Tuesday) Zuytdorp Site
Up at 5.30 am, cold but sheltered spot, breakfast. 
Tried to reach Blue Dolphin on the walkie-talkies no luck. Drove down to cliff top just at first light and saw Blue Dolphin sailing about 1 mile off shore and about 2 miles to the south of Zuytdorp Cliffs.

This is an incredible place. Both to north amd south stretches the long broken line of cliffs with a short platform and chin bone[?] and a continuous line of breakers along its length as the big ocean surf comes in and plunges into it. At this place dune is a sloping valley running down through a dip in the cliffs so that the scramble down is over a tumbled and relatively easy rock scree for about 80 or 90 ft. The cliffs on either side are much higher about 100ft. The Zuytdorp lies just off a reetment[?] into the shore platform ; and coins and other bits of debris have been washed up into the platform and cemented into the crevices there. These have been collected by people over the years. Blue Dolphin stood in and made several runs as close to the line of breakers as she dared. The bottom shelves much more gently than we expected. Out beyond the breakers it is still only about 4 fathoms on the echo sounder. Colin and Clem Moss(the skipper) made several runs backwards and forewards. The wind was a light Easterly but the heavy swell makes the otherwise calm sea very dangerous ashore.

Wind suddenly swung round to the south west and the sea became broken. Colin decided too dangerous to get into the water because of difficulty of picking up divers. I gave them permission to go back to Geraldton.

Bradley Pearce and Frank Moss did a lot of filming and recorded 2 way conversations between Colin and self. I took a lot of photographs of the site and collected samples of the rocks. Seems to be very much the same as Green Bluff, i.e. Bothiembryon limestone, calcarenite and aeilminate[?], may be a little new siliciens[?] open and Rudl[?] but this is only a guess.[Bothiembryon limestone with fossil negel. no 68.563] Collected a cowrie in a rockpool encrusted with coral. Colin Power collected a small coin (silver and copper) from a crevice[C. caputi serpenitis]. Drove back to camp and packed up. Left cape for Tamala.

Stopped on the track at the turnoff, this seems to be in the Murchison House Boundary. Took photos - sandplain, prolific flora all in bloom, a wonderful site. Will propose that this place be set aside as a reserve possibly National Park, , certainly the cliffs warrant it and, combined with sandplain and the historic interest, it should be preserved.

Drove back to Tamala on way back stopped at second tank and had lunch. Attacked by ticks - everywhere. I hope we got them all off before being bitten. Tamala - a beauty must tell Glen. Turned left across a salt pan (coming from Tamala this would be a right fork leading to the west of the rubbish tip) to go out to the aboriginal burial ground. Through a couple of gates and into a large blowout area, finally, towards the further end of the blowout we stopped and Frank Moss showed me where they collected the shells for the museum. The area is rapidly deflating and skeletons are breaking up rapidly. Seems to have been some sort of interference already.Femurs and pelvises show odd numbers of individuals in each heap of bones[?] sometimes 2 or 2 1/2 individuals. 1 child's skeleton exposed and almost weathered away. Collected a skull (len facial again)[?] from an exposed skeleton at the far end of the blowout for the station homestead. Built cairn and photographed in situ. Strange that these skeletons seem to have been buried with bailers, patella and other shells. Found one sheep's head with skeleton (photographed) but later find sheep's skeleton nearby without head - suspect plant - photographed.

Back to Tamala. Dropped in and had a drink with Bill Hughes and wife (? Mrs Gervais). She seems to be a part blood, but very (?bottle) blonde hair. Still she seems to suit him, very hospitable. They are shearing about 10,000 and have these in about half the station i e c. 200,000 acres[?]. Total is about 400,000. He has some interesting wooden artifacts at the station brought down with him from Yeeda. Left at about 7.00pm.

Drove on to the Billabong cafe for a good meal of schnapper and eggs. Camped at Murchison R. usual place.

> 17 July (Wednesday)
Up at first light. Before getting off recorded an interview fr TUW on the wreck business[?]. Sent telegram through VJQ

MEAGHER PHONE 611122 PERTH. JOB DONE BACK TONIGHT REGARDS DAVID.