We sorted out a number of problems re normal[?] society, especially about Conservation Committee which is defunct. He wants to revive it. I suggested that he should get rid of the old state-library capiseta[?]f the committee and to refer it on the birew[?] of the "Rare mes[?]" chapter in the book. He asked me to talk to people about it on this trip, esp. Caleby[?], Kirkpatrick and Bartholomai. I also told him that Roser[?] could be out here and could speak at the next normal[?] soc. John drove me out to the airport.

Had an uneventful flight up to Alice Springs in a Viscount ; took off soon after 11.30 arrived Alice Springs 2.45. Flew over Lake Eyre - the country here is a marked contrast to the Western Desert. Lots of exposed sediments everywhere. North of the lake soon got into extensive sandhill country. Terrible stuff with great chains of salt lakes spreading out eastwards from the Lake. And then sand dunes to the north and east pretty well until you get to the Alice. Hung around at the airport until a bus came into town. Then walked around until I located the Stuart Arms. Contacted Dave Howe at Territories. He is the T. O. to the biologist and is the one who had kept the moles in captivity. Simpson[?] came back with Mike at about 1900 hrs. We had a drink and then met Dave Howe who will get projectors for Saturday evening when we get back from Alcoota. To bed late after much conversation. Mike believes that C.Pal. Collins will pass over to the Commonwealth muser[?] when established.

> 18th Oct Friday
Up at 0700 and packed to leave for Alcoota after breakfast. Went and did a bit of shopping in the town. Got some lunch to take with us and left the hotel at 10.00. Left Alice Springs at 10.05.
Bond Springs, Yambah Stn., Boundary fence, Arltunga turnoff ( the Gardark, Arltunga 79).
Yambah turnoff - to Homestead
Plenty River turnoff signposted head Tank 47. Turned off the bitumen to the east. This is just before Gillan's Well. The turnoff to Alcoota is about 15 miles beyond hand tank.
Bushy Park Boundary
Mud Tank, stopped for lunch.
Turnoff to Alcoota, Alcoota Homestead.

Met Ivor and Mrs Edna Paine (managers) an extremely nice couple with the fondest memories of Mike Woodbine and his friends. Stinton had spent two days there but had kept contact ever since with Christmas letters etc.- a lesson to us all. The homestead is a nice one, cool with excellent lawns and good garden. They are having the best season in living memory, after a five year drought they have already had 1541 - during the drought for some years they had less than 400 and averaged 500, 970 squ miles and carrying 3,000 - fully loaded they carry 5,700. Stock are in beautiful condition and country looks good, a fair amount of dead stuff about but also regeneration.

Drove out to the exposures. These are very interesting. We went first to Paine Quarry which is in the greyish lacustrine material. Lots of bone scattered about all over the surface - picked up a few bits : [Sketch].

Ran off everything left in the film to give a good idea of the locality  including a view from hill 1 across to hills 2 and 3 with the Precambrian in the background, and one from hill 2 across to hill 1 with hills 5 & 6 in the background ; also took photos of the actual matrix(?) in cosll(?) showing the small iron pisolites of the laterite in the green matrix at the cluste(?) of sandstones and quartzites in the red fluviatile material. The silicate has been used extensively by Aborigines and blocks and flakes are everywhere. The red material on hill 2 shows bedding and the whole thing is incredibly reminiscent of the beds at the junction of Gregory Creek and the Gascoyne which Bob Savage and I prospected without success last year. Walking on the flats is difficult, v. soft mudhole country with bindii everywhere. Finished off film [C5301-20].

> 19th Oct Saturday.
Up late ie 7.30 with mug of tea after a pleasant evening session. Drove with Mick & G.G.S. down to the Twins (ie Hill 6) which is split and the road to the homestead passes through the saddle between them.

Took photos in col. and b & w. Col.5401 of the laterites exposed on the S.E. flank of the western(?) hill. There is pisolitic laterite below the limestones(?) and silicate above that.

Took photos from the tops looking out towards hill 5 with hills 1,2,3&4 behind them. An xcellent view with cairn (?) in foreground.

Walked across to hill 5 where there  is a reasonable(?) sequence of laterite at the bottom ; but not clear what it is that is lateritized - looks a bit like a sandstone from the quartz clasts within it.

Drove back to the homestead where we dropped of GGS and had a cup of tea and then drove out to hill 4 where took photos. All fluviatile here. Walked out the creek between 4 and 3 without luck. It does not appear to get below the quatery(?) alluvium.

Drove back to Red Hill (Hill 1.) and to Paine Quarry. Collected a few bits of bone and got B&W photos of what we had seen and photographed in colour the day before. Back to Homestead for lunch. Finished off with photos of homestead and family.

Drove back to Alice Springs to the hotel. Simpsons are standing up to it well and enjoyed it all immensely.

> 20th Oct Sunday
breakfast at 0600 hrs and then off to Ayers Rock by plane. A Beechcraft Bonanza, quite comfortable.

Route up south of forbidden area of U.S. Space tracking centre and then to Hermannsberg Mission then some good shots of Palm Valley and then on 240* to the Rock. Mt. Connor - a great table top most impressive in the distance. Then Ayers Rock and then the Olgas in the distance, c.1 hour. On arrival took a shot of the weathering on the S.E. side of the rock then on to a cup of tea in the motel.

After tea drove on round the rock to the climb. Were taken to all the tourist caves and waterholes. Guide John       a most resourceful man , apparently he was the chap who moved the Vollprechts in 1959. He asked if I knew them when he heard that I was from the west.

The cave paintings are poor but the guides seem to be pretty careful about them. There's no vandalism that I can see. The guide knows little about them and is keen to clean(?). Took photos of a lot of them and promised to send them to him with interpretations. Number of poor artifacts about found one grinder(?) in a cave. Also bitten Quandong nuts, faeces of a large mirid(?). Echidna scats and mejectu(?) of a ? kestrel with lizard bones in it.

Maggie Springs good water in it and run off still coming off the rock.

> (20 Oct cont.) Wildflowers everywhere - they are certainly having a good season. Diamond doves everywhere near the water. Butcher birds calling, Ibis and White-faced heron near the water. A few budgies but not yet time for the flocks to build up.

Have not seen a kangaroo in the whole time we have been at Alice Springs and vicinity. Ivor Paine(?) says that they are plentiful in the property and he cannot see that it is wise to protect them. He is not worried about them in good seasons, but is worried in poor seasons. John says that there are rock wallabies in the rocks.

Flew straight back to Alice Spr. being 60*. Very hazy no chance to get photos. After we had eaten, Dave Howe, Technical Officer Animal Udstumes(?) Branch, N.T. took Mike and self out to see the collection which had mostly been made by S Parker(?). Infested with Demodios(?) Alcohol bottles in an open room with no protection against light. Study(?) skins of animals v. poor. Previous night he had shown us a short film of Notoryctes(?) in captivity. Very quick mover on the surface - saws(?) along with birdfeet going like a mural mural(?) forefeet under the body - seems to progress on the backs of its fore feet. Not a clumsy mover at all, digs by cutting down beneath itself with its forefeet. I advised him to get copies & said that I will pay. Slides not up to much.

> 21st Oct Monday
Breakfast at 7.30, out to airport to go to Mt. Isa. Flight plan 124 min.
Course 70*
Course 58* Alice Springs 6500ft [C5502-3]
Course altitude 9000ft. still over ranges, Burt Plains visible on the portside. 140 lcts.
Ranges still to South [C5504] ; to North tumbled ranges still the skyline.
Ranges still  everywhere to the East and to the North. They appear to thin out to the South - but too much haze to be certain

Ranges pinching out as we enter the Georgina Basin. Based palaeozoic sediments. We seem to be flying almost directly over the Northeastern apex of the range system of the MacDonnells.

The end of the ranges took [C5505] looking southwards. Rivers flowing N.E. across pretty bare open plains. Rivers have scattered gums along banks, but here are only continuous along banks ; but these are only continuous on the larger streams. Scattered breakaway and hills of fairly small size.

Took [C5506] looking south west with the edge of the range in the haze just below the tail plane. Large river in foreground with low seemingly lateritized breakaways cross our front across the wide plain.

Photographs of CLM of yesterdays flight to Ayres Rock [C5507]. Looking south with parallel ranges and large river in background. Flying over low broken country - should be rock wallaby country.

Ranges to our north with breakaways. Look like sediments. Homestead and airstrip below. Crossed second large river . Homestead on N.E. bank - strip on S.W. bank. Not much good in the wet !

Pretty bare ? spinifex country with occasional gidgee and patches of mulga. Thin line of trees along creeks. Pretty hungry looking country. Lines of low ranges to the north

Patches of ? acacia along drainage systems [C5508] to south course 55* should be approx 1/2 way. Over very dry red plains almost without cover. Photo to South [C5509] pretty featureless native drainage system. Same all round as far as eye can see.

Crossed dog fence which makes the Queensland Border. [C5510] to South. Fence runs diagonally across picture thus[ /].

Southwards flowing river at Homestead River confirmed on map as Georgina R. photo [C5511] : Headingly Stn Homestead. Starting to come down over some pretty horrible country. [C5512] photo of rocky outcrops scattered around to the west of Mount Isa. Very bumpy(?). Landing at Mt. Isa [C5513-4]

Excellent airconditioned Airport buildings "The Copper City". Went into town, had a reasonable lunch then back to airport to wait for Jet(?) at about 6.30 meal on plane. Met at Brisbane by Alan Bartholomai and then to Albert Park Motel for night $11.50 !

> 22nd Oct Tuesday BRISBANE
Spent day in Brisbane Museum. Letter from Pat with enclosure for Donald Walker re the Mueller Medal. Wrote to him and told him that I would see him in Canberra over the weekend.

Also tried to get Frank Farmer(?) on the phone ; no luck so got Deeble (?) and asked for a copy of the Submission re the Biological Survey to be sent to me in Brisbane for Simpson to see. He promised to ask Bob Walsh about it. Wrote to Frank explaining it and also told him of Simpson's travels and interests.Wrote to Pat and to Margaret.

Looked at some specimens and asked for the loan of the only Dasyurus crustindi(?) in the collection. 2 from Central Australia and also specimens labelled Archyaunus(?) and Koalemus in the collection. Also asked for the types of Cuscus procurus, Archinates semirus(?) and Koalemus to be sent for Eileen. Species nos (not types) asked for loan are F14.685, 686, 688, 689.

Alan Bartholomai's thesis is developing well. He has 3 species of Protemnodon of Osas(?) sines recognised(?) as good. These are P. anak, P. brehusi, P. roechis(?) (one is a sys of mile (?). Protemnodon is a good species within Maugris(?).

West through the W.A.M. material with him (sent by De Vis) and identified it for netn(?). One spec belongs to his new species woodsi and we must give him usd no for referral.

Spent v. nice evening with Alan and Trish(Patricia) and two little girls at their home. Stayed night with them.

Alan tells me that he has a P. brehus from "Rosewood Stn." N.W.A. in the collection must check on this locality. Also promised to send him the refs. to Kurten's species tunova brises(?)

He tells me that he is writing a general account of the evolution of the Macropodidae for the thesis. Must ask more about this.

> 23rd Oct. Chinchilla.
Drove to Chinchilla stopped at Toowoomba to book motel and then to Dalby for lunch. Arrived at Chinchilla at approx 3.30 pm. Let the Simpsons have half an hour's rest and then drove down to a locality to the west of the town (down a"double carriageway road" into a dirt road : through a gate and down to the river. Good exposures of gravels and clays, collected quite a lot of scrap bone, 1 tooth of Euryzygoma denense, a mandibular fragment with Phascolonus gigas. gave letter to Alan Bartholomai. It is the second specia of this species collected at Chinchilla. GGS and Mike persuading A.B. to screen the clays for small amounts(?) in the hope of getting a direct comparison with Grange Burn. This locality is home to a Texting Locality in the new Bureau(?) map series.

> 24th Oct. Chinchilla & Macalister
Drove out to the Rifle Range saw the type(?) section at the river and then walked on map etc Main Gully System. As last time, the exposures at the head of the little gullies and on the surfaces of the small hills on the E of the main gully system are prolific in bone. Picked up lots of scraps.

On the way round the gullies saw a Koala in a tree. Climbed it & got some photos. G.S.S. delighted to see one in the wild.

Back to the car and then drove back along the West fence to a track leading across the rifle range. Drove along this until it reached the river ; then got out & walked along the river bank back to the Dalby(?) fence, through it along the river fence for a few yards to a breakaway sandy cliff on the river edge. Rich in bone. Collected some, this is the Sand Scree Locality that Bartholomai wants to sluice(?). Should be good.

Drove back to Chinchilla.  After lunch drove bact towards Toowoomba , dropped into the Rifle Range in the hope that Anne could see the koala - no luck but saw a pair of Varanus gouldii. G.S.S. got some good photos.

Drove on to Macalister to the west of Dalby turned south at the crossroads signposted JIMBOUR (northwards). Drove down to the Condamine where there are good exposures of the sand facies of the Eastern Downs pleistocene occur. Met Gordon Ross and wife.

Drove down to the Condamine and collected numerous bone specimens including several very good ones with teeth - all Diprotodontidae. Gordon Ross and his father over the years made good collections most of which are in the Queensland Museum.

Took numbers of photographs. Unfortunately the river is now the sewerage effluent for Dalby so the river is constantly recursing(?) but one can still see how the river excavates specimens(?) and lodges them in the deeper pools.Old Jimbour homestead was the launching point for Leichhardt's expedition and it is obvious that some of Owen's Condamine material could have come from this sand facies(?) which is quite different from the black or chocolate soil.Left and drove back to Toowoomba where we put up at the Range Motel. Quite comfortable - we had dinner at the Top of the Range, a new "country club" type cafe. Excellent dinner beautifully got up and served.

> 25th Oct (Friday)
Drove over to Kings Creek at Clifton. Took photos of the profile exposed with Black soil covering about the top metre, then chocolate alluvium (forming a terrace downstream). This is an excellent example of one of the black soil localities. Jack Mahony and I had previously collected a mandible on 22nd Sept. 1966. but this time we collected no bone. Picked up a few freshwater molluscs (no 68.1453 in collection). Drove back to Brisbane. Caught 1630 plane to Sydney and then TAA433 to Canberra arriving late at about 2000 hrs in the rain with a temp. of about 40* F. Donald Walker there to meet me.

> 26th Oct (Saturday)
Went to Bureau where Mike showed me all his material photographed specimens for teaching purposes. Mike demonstrated his vibrotool - excellent.He has beautiful material from two localities - Riversleigh and Canfield = Victoria River = Bullock Creek farm. Riversleigh is probably not far off the Ngapakaldi in age and Bullock Creek about Alcoota. Both in a v. hard matrix(?). Bullock Creek rich in large mandibles, whole shells etc. Riversleigh work v. interesting small spears (?) showing up. Photographed: Macropod Kangaroo Well : L. misc
Riversleigh Zygomatine. Tedford 1967
Riversleigh Palorchestine. Tedford 1967
Riversleigh Nototherium Brematherium angulim Tedford
Bullock Creek  Neohelos
Bullock Creek  Kolopsis...

Karonie, Coonana, Zanthus.

Kildana. Start of Kanandah fence to south[?]. Lime kilns. Got in touch with Ruth at 3.30 and they collected a lot of small lizards and some snakes, all under bit of wood - more under tin.

Drove in the Kandandah. Ruth and Eric all at home, Susie inepiasible as ever. Ruth and Eric well, delighted to see them. They have had a very poor season. Carrying about 30,000 from the 40 ooo of two years ago. An excellent wool clip last year but only 3 inches so far.
Had a most pleasant evening to bed at 9.30, a very cold night. How nice to have a good bed.

Told Eric about the Wedgetail sitting on the fence post about 10 ft. from four half-grown lambs which were watching it (it was measuring dinner[?]) - we drove over and it flew off & as it did so the lambs moved forward in concert. Eric tells of an Eagle he watched in Qld. which struck a half-grown roo but he was too slow as the on the ground so he made repeated air strikes tumbling[?] over the swinging[?] kangaroo each time until he killed it.

> 18th August 1970 (Tuesday)
Kanandah, put in 12 gals.
Trainline, stopped at gate & collected Gymnodactylus milii under sleeper.
Sleeper, collected Heteronotia binoei and Mus musculus underneath.
Rawlinna.

Abandoned camp. Collected under sleepers and rocks H. binoei, and a small Asleplous[?] elegans. This was the place where Butler previously collected S. murina under sleepers. Fantastically unlikely for murina ! Took photos [C6524, 5]. Trachysaurus rugosus on track. Very rugose like a pine cone. Collected.

Haig. Stopped for lunch in a little patch of Casuarina. Very pleasant in the sun. Wind died a bit and no longer bitterly cold. Photographed Gymnodactylus [C6626,7] and also the Trans train which came through while we were lunching [C6628]. All people sitting in the Diner. We were probably more comfortable than they - at any rate would not have swapped !

Nurina. Stopped to turn over sleepers, collected a couple of geckoes Phyllodactylus (laminated toes, bifid pad, claw on each digit - Gelya has non bifid pad & no claw on inner digit - Butler's diagnostics), Heteronotia binoei.

Road very rough indeed milage scarcely 20 mph much of the time.

Loongana. Very slow progress. Decided to camp for the night before the light goes. Camped in a little clump of  "dead finish" Acacia (? aphylla) and desert willows Pittosporum (will collect seed).

Collected wolf spiders, running on the ground. Some salt and blue bush, Temp. 53*F.

> 19th August 1970 (Wednesday)
Camped 9.3 E. of Loongana. A good night, fairly warm, cloud coming up, wind shifted fr. N into due West. Off at 0810.
Butler found a small Ablepharus butleri under a stone. Collected a bag of seeds of native willow Pittosporum which I must try to grow.
Mundrabilla Siding. Small sprinkle of rain at intervals but little risk of it developing.
Stopped at a donga to photograph an Acacia [C6629] collected a few of the very scarce and small puffball flowers. Phyllodes and twisted..
Forrest. Posted letters to M & Jim. Crossed to south of track, stopped at Gurney [?] near Reid for lunch - looked for fossils in fissure fils[?] nothing.
Reid. Track comes off for airfield. Collected Tympanocryptus running , went under a stone.
XD140 Benchmart, Lands & Surveys WA.

Harry's diagram of cave. The cave has a compacted earth floor & scraps of bone, easy to get into. No evidence of H. sap. but flakes collected on surface within 1 mile of cave. Worth excavation someday.

Investigated cave alongside road (to east). Harry collected bones of Perameles, Leporillus, Dasycereas, a small macropod, 2 small Drymidae, Notys?, Pseudemys. Collected Trapdoor spider, no door on brow but copious silk sleeve. Unfortunately burro between stues & destroyed in excavating it. Collected land shells 3spp.& slater.
Bad mark XD155.

Camped among myalls to the west of the track. Collected Huntsman spider T50F, 3/4 moon on the wane. Turned in at 10.00 pm. Few meals around. Saw a couple of rabbits along the trans line & two foxes. Country very poor. Salt and bluebush in reasonable condition but grass all black & grey. No water anywhere. Red kangaroo & ten greys as we entered the myall zone at 87.9.

> 20th August (Thursday)
Camped in myall, a good night. Cold morning west gone road to N.W. Off at 8.10, only 140 m. yesterday, must make Ceduna tonight. Eucla. Put in 15 3/4 gals super, gauge showing empty, 302.2 m. since Kanandah average 18.8 mpg.
S.A. / W.A. border mallee & saltbush. Wombat holes on Nullarbor Stn. in saltbush, took some photos and collected land snails and a wombat palate & teeth. The holes are common between mileposts 28 and 26 to Nullarbor Homestead.
Nullarbor Homestead turnoff, collected bobtail on road just past the turnoff. Myall comes in again after a stretch of the plain which started before the wombat holes (although there was scattered Myall there).
Ivy Tanks.
Start of the Yalata reserve: Bluebush, Eucalypts (woolly butts) and myall. First wheat starts after cleared grazing in open myall and eucalypt "parkland" for some miles.
Fuel pump at Nindroo, Fowlers Bay turn off.
Wolf spider in hole under stone in a small roadside "reserve". Collected.
Penong fuel 15 gals average 18.6 mpg. Ceduna X road.

Stayed in Poochera to phone in. All well at home. Seds a bit off colour but Jim's operation seems to be successful. Dark 8.15 and cold.

Turnoff main road at Minnipa to go south to find camp in the dark. Find a place behind a small belt of trees and off the road. After meal wrote decisions in cases for International Commission until about 11.00 pm, to bed, cold & windy. Harry got some spiders.

> 21st  August (Friday)
Camped 5 miles south of Minnipa in a small clump of eucalypts at a bend in the road among paddocks of wheat. A nice morning. Alice Springs sched starts at 8.00 on 5410, can hear perfectly well, off at 0840.
Back on Eyre Highway, Kimba 18 1/4 gals.

Drove on to Port Augusta across country which at first was mallee rather like Lake Grace but soon became less strong and then changed to myall, sheoak, bluebush/saltbush. Finally coming up to the Middleback Range before Iron Knob to the south of Lake Giles the country might virtually be a cross between the flats between the Wooramel and Brown Range of the Nullarbor. come through the Middleback Range the country gets even worse until Port Augusta reached.

Port Augusta left Hwy with vehicle after lunch to get 4000 miles service done & roofrack welded where it had fractured. Went to the Public Library where the girls let me wash before handling books ! I then worked on Commission business and got it posted.

Drove out into the Flinders Ranges to Quorn and camped on a tributary of Willochra Creek just north of Gordon [Kanyaka Creek 6m. S. of Wilson]

Camped in rain. Got the fly up - leaks ! Bats flying low and very fast. Spotlighted while Harry shot. He collected a Tadarida australis, male, wt:37gr, H & B 84 mm, T.V. 49mm, H.I 10 mm, E26mm, forearm 62 mm (wt & measurements taken by Butler). A beautiful chocolate brown with a well marked golden pouch with raised globular rim (bone) and with two dense clusters of marvellous rich brown chocolate hair which, when wanted for the pouch stood up like two dense bristly fans. Photographed pouch b&w. A male trapdoor walked into the tent & onto Harry's leg ! Collected. T.52* a very fine wolf spider about in the rain.

> 22nd August (Saturday)
Rained hard all night. Was awakened about 03.30 and did not sleep much after that. Fly leaks and water splashing in my face.Sound of running water gave me some concern that we would have difficulty in getting up the bank out of this valley - but looked better in daylight! Still raining , but much more lightly during breakfast, which was leisurely. Harry collected a Pardelote.
Rail coming at Wilson [Halt]

Hawker[?]. Still raining but asked a bus driver who had just driven down the Wilpena Pound road what it was like. He said slippery but we would have no bother. Country very interesting. Callitris in hills rather like European hill scenery with firs. Triodia starts among the Callitris and bluebush eucalypts along the creeks looking like silver birch. Stopped at a flat with callitris and grass alongside the road at the foot of Rawnsley Bluff and opposite Moongarie Gap. Dry out spiders.[C6633].

Turned off into Wilpena Pound turnoff. The view is incredibly beautiful pastoral scenery. The Chalet is a privately owned property & camping area. Tents among the trees. Drove into the area and then walked up into the pound by the tourist track. A wonderful isolated woodland of tall eucalypts. Photographs [C6635-36]. Dry out 3 trapdoor spiders, more photos into the entrance of the Pound[C6701-2]. Stopped raining.
Back at main road.Through heavily-grazed hill country, Reds and Euros grazing, rabbits and fox.

Blinman, an isolated hill town. Drove down the road to Mt Mary and Parachilna. A  very beautiful and spectacular descent high hosting defiles. Rocky and dry[C6703]. Harry shot a rabbit. Saw several Euros. Down into the mud and desolate plains at the foot - to Parachilna 4002.6. Camped on Green Well Creek, collected spiders. Tadarida flying. V. cold.

> 23rd August (Sunday)
Camped in Greenwell Creek 7 miles N. of Parachilna. The creek's a rock strewn bed lined by quite tall rivergums and flowing along the top of a crest. Coming into it last night, up hill from Parachilna, I found it difficult to believe it was a creek at all.
An excellent night and lovely morning, clouds are still hanging around the Flinders and there is light cloud cover as a front passes over - but not enough to keep the sun off.

Country bare with low sand - looks badly eaten out. Breakfast-Time Creek is a lovely name in a dreadful area of eaten out country ; some of the most desolate I have seen.
Beltana - dreadful. Trying to make living on tourists in hopeless country.

Arrived at Leigh Creek township. An incredible place in such desolation. Sealed roads, brickbuilt houses, green trees and a little park with green lawns and wonderful flowering trees filled with birds.

Went to the police station (Sgt Marple & Const Cavanaugh) who say that the trees in park were Disto Lothian at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Wish that Bond had turned his energy to this sort of thing in W.A. Sgt Marple's boy is a keen fossil rock collector & hopes to be a geologist. Harry gaven him advice on Physics, Chemistry & Maths.

Drove back to Copley and fuel 14 1/2 gals - 15 mpg. Stopped for lunch in the bed of Leigh Creek. Dug out scorpions, Harry showed an excellent technique with water for folling tiosty burrows.

Went back to Leigh Creek and tried to phone Grant Inglis in Adelaide to find out why they had not turned up. No luck. Police advised checking with Johnny Akbar in Copley whether the Crusers were still out at Callabonna on Moolawatana stn. Went & checked and found out they were still there so decided to go back to Leigh Creek until 3.30 and then if they didn't want to go on out to Moolawatana to contact Michael Sheehan - manager. Did this and left message with Const. Cavanaugh to pass on to Grant. Tel from Briston : Collecting N.T. O.K. fuel Warburton O.K.

Leave Leigh Creek. Turn off at Copley on East. Passed Mt. Searl turnoff. This is incredibly desolate hill country almost completely bare of vegetation. [C6705] . Nepabunna Mission, houses in good condition, a school.   Wooltana H.S. in the plain at the N side of the range. country beautiful plains - quite good condition.

Camped in Arkaroola Crk. 6.4 m. N.E. of Wooltana H.S. Collected spiders T 54*F a nice (comparatively) warm evening. Pleasant sitting around the fire writing.

The general impression I get of this country is of incredibly desolate, thrashed saltbush country to the West of the Flinders Range which lies like a dividing rampart NpS through the country. he range itself has been destroyed by pastoral activity but is picturesque desolation with adits here & there. Very rough rather reminiscent of Nullagine and the Warraweena[?] series. And then over the other side, quiet plains in much better condition, apparently better watered, with good trees along numerous creeks feeding out of the range. Good grasses. Why do so many of the creeks on the other side (ie the West) seem to flow along the tops of ridges ?!

Telegram at Leigh Creek
"RIDE. COLLECTING; PERMIT APPROVED DARWIN COPY AVAILABLE ONCE NO REPLY YET ADELAIDE STOP FUEL OKAY WARBURTON NO REPLY GILES AM CABLING AGAIN REGARDS BANNUTER"

> 24th Aug. 1970 (Monday)
Camped at Arkaroola Creek. A beautiful night, windy in the middle of the night but woke to a still clear morning. Warm enough to sit comfortably in a pullover. Listened to Alice Springs sched, nothing for us, off at 0850. After leaving creek took 2 photos back at Creek & range [C6706] and Right ls of Range.[C6707]. Then stopped while Harry walked up a couple of quail thrushes of which he collected are - a very beautiful pale bird rising between little tussocks and small bushes, male.

[C6708] Creek and hills across gibber and sandy plain. N. Mulga (entrys). N. Mulga Homestead. Moolawatana H.S. a beautiful modern Homestead. The home paddock is full of bush but the rest is desolation. Met a young geologist and wife who were mapping the area. They told us where Tedford and party were working. We then met a truckdriver who also gave us a road map, v. useful in relation to mills and fences [see over]. Drove out to Tedford's camp and on the way were caught up by the rest of the party.
   Grant Inglis   S. A. Museum
   Paul Lawson  S.A. Museum
   Jim Warren  Monash
   Mike Plane  Bureau Of Mineral Resources
   Alan Bartholomai  Queensland Museum

We then followed Paul into the camp, a desolate wind-blasted spot. They have a caravan and two bedrooms[?] with open backs. They had left a note for us to come out to the lake so we had lunch and then drove out on their tracks to the lake. The site is fantastic. Skeletons outcropping on the surface into a ventenesd[?] zone of gypsum and sands below this a blue clay interbedded with thin sands and then going into sand at 2ft6 to 3 ft in most places. The skeletons are all in the grey clay except where deflation has brought them into the weathered zone. Took numerous photos, went for Side 4 ; where they were working to a place where Diprotodon trackings were visible on the surface. These arplute explicable as follows :
[Sketch] [blue clays] "bioturbation" (Tedford's name)

The deflation removes the less compact material and leaves the actual treads. Took photos. Aso took photos of giant bird remains as well as concentrations of clay[?] stones.Drove to Side 1 where Tedford demonstrated the sequence of beds which were Upper sands, Upper clay, with Emu[?], smaller birds, fish otalites, then an apparent disinfinity with the Diprotodon-bearing clays break down. The only aquatic animals in these lower beds are Coriellas. So Tedford believes that these were saline at the time of deposition. He also believes that the distortion of the skeleton is due to "bioturbation" - or simply animals walking on each other !
Sand blowing like hell - really a wretched place. They say that this is the worst day they have had.
Back to camp to an excellent dinner cooked by Paul Lawson.
After yarning with the party went out and collected spiders. Strong wind. T54*F.
Mudmap to site of camp on Woolatchi Creek.

> 25th Aug 1970 (Tuesday)
Camp on Woolatchi Creek, Lake Callabonna. Up at dawn after a very windy night, but slept v. well. drove to Homestead and filled with fuel.
Homestead. Took northwards road through Lyndhurst cb house. Incredibly desolate country here. All the bush and most of the larger shrubs have been killed leaving only Mitchell Grass as the staple. Mile Shean says that they have had no rain for 2 years and that he is down to 6,000 head from 12,000 - obviously that is too much.
Mt Fitton H.S.
Signpost "Talc Mine 3 miles" on turnoff to our right. Photo[C6801] of typical desolation.
Mt. Freeling H.S. An old camp with incredible stone corral and post & rail fence - photos :[C3802, 03] collected - few bib of worthwhile gear.
Farina. Incredible place - "On western plains where shade is not.." [C3804,5]

Maree [Marree ?] Fuel 171/2 gals to fill. Sent Telegram to Jim on his birthday, "Many happy returns of the day All going well Love Dad". Ran into Warren Bonython. Incredible place to meet one's friends ! He was going to look at a new National Park at Lake Eyre North.
On the Birdsville Track.

Clayton Bore. Camped by the bore stream. Collected a good series of spiders.  Saw in the water (a large black water spider) a few small greenish ones in bushes but not on the sand. T 56* F, Slight showers.

> 26th August 1970 (Wednesday)
Camped at Clayton Bore. Up before dawn. Harry started the day well by lamping into a Sminthopsis crassicaudata [WR218] as it had the misfortune to walk within the circle of lamplight - Incredible performance.
Hayes Hill where Dick researches[?] the contact between the Cretaceous Blanchewater Fn. and the Lower Testing Murnpeowie Fn. and the relation of  test to the "silicated Dricrest"[?] the feral crugent [?] at the place.
Sketch of silicated land forms e.g. Hays Hill.

The Blanchewater is probably the equivalent of the Winton Fri [?] which contains dinosaurs The Murnpeowie is probably the equivalent of the Plutagents, M. contains plant impressions in the silcrete near Hays Hill.

[C6806,7] Dick Tedford study on the Basal beds of the Murnpeowie [C6808,9] Mike Plane standing in one section showing the deflated gibbers on the top.

[C6810,11]A good shot of Hays Hill showing how the contact mantles a basin in the Blanchewater Fn. Sketch of [C6810,11] : the dip of the Blanchewater is about 13* to the NW into the basin which is filled with the Etadunna Fm. The Winton Fm. shows up in a bore underlying the Etadunna Fm.
[C6812] Sketch : Geological map of the area.

Unfortunately the contact between the Etadunna Fm. and the Murnpeowie do not show on the surface. Outcrop on side of road seems to be Murnpeowie Fm.

Cannuwankaninna Bore. Stopped here and had a bath while the Holden went up to Etadunna Station Homestead. Camped in under the lee of a large Dune in the Cooper (between it and L. Palankarinna) M.R. 66435. Reached SW. corner of lake to look at the contact between the Cretaceous and the Etadunna Fm with the B.M.R. and the S.A. Mines Dept.

The Etadunna fm here lies on top of a silveted[?] and ladinized[?] horizon which Dick says is typical of the lowest[?] horizon of a massive[?] denicrest[?]. Mary Lindsay (S.A. Mines) points out that there is similar silcected[?] Nullarbor bestie[?] at Lake Pidinga N. of Yalata Mission on the track to Watson.) The least[?] part of the Etadunna Fm. is Dolomitic limestone with Both-like gastropods and some Rhaggada-like shells. Collected a good swag. On top of this is the remnant of gibbers which Dick believes is transported[?] from an adjacent area of limestone.
Sketch.

Photographed a channel of Katapiri cut into the Etadunna Fm.[C6815]   Moved along the W. side of the lake and looked at typical exposures of the 3 fms present here.

[C6819] Sketch looking west   Tirari

C6820  looking north [C6821] [C6822] Sketch Katapiri, Tirari, Etadunna, note that the Tirari has been pinched out with the Katapiri cut into the Etadunna fm. Tedford points out that the Tirari overlies the Mampuwordu  but not the Katapiri. It is not known what the relationship with Wipijiri is (this is only known at Ngapakaldi) T. does not believe that Tirari is the lateral equivalent of the Wipajiri Tirari is not fossiliferous anywhere.

C6823 Taken at the top of the syncline where the Etdunna is thickest [Sketch] Tirari , Dolomitic limestone of the top of the Etadunna.

C6827, 28 Lawson Quarry, a Mumpuwordu channel in the Etadunna overlain by Tirari.
C6829 Keane Quarry: - note the ?ypcrete in the Tirari above the contact.

Started to look for fossils and found a lot of scrap bone from the Etadunna. Fantastically rich. Paul found some teeth  with a curious sclandent[?] fn of two sets of 3 cusps.[6824 after excavation]
Started back to camp. Camp alongside the large N.S. dune.

Collected spiders. A very warm night with an incredible sandstorm which got out in the night and could have torn everything to shreds if we had had tents.

> 27th August (Thursday) 1970
Camp at Palankarinna in lee of the dunes on west side of lake. We collect the teeth and mandible found by Paul Lawson yesterday. Photos of mandible in situ.[C6824]. Photos down the line of exposures looking south [C6825]. Photo [C6826] looking across the lake to the Dricrusted[?] sediments to fossils which Dick believes the Silcrete[?] clants in the sediments are derived C6826,27 See notes of previous day.[error in transcribing fm pencil notes]. Drove back to camp for  lunch after collecting all moving. Sched. [6832] Landrover in Dunes on my way back to camp. Perth 3.48 pm. 25th Dr Ride 8WNX

PERMIT GRANTED SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES AND FOR COLLECTING ON R1028 SELF BUTLER STOP COLLECT AUTHORIZATION SUPERINTENDENT DOCKER RIVER NO WORD YET GILES HAVE REQUESTED SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AUTHORITIES CONTACT YOU DIRECT  BANNISTER.

C6829 Shows the Mampuwordu sands in quarry face.
C6830 Same scene of above / Tiari Hand pointing , say where D M ends.
Yellow gohere of Mampuwordu Sands, Etadunna in hole.
C6831 Dipnotodited plate in situ.
Set off for Lake Kanunka. Passage up the broad valley to the Cooper.
Cooper Creek photo C6828

Continued along Cooper to a point recognised by Tedford as been away northwards up a dune valley wth a seismic track running along it with shot holes. Lake Kanunka, excellent exposures of sediment.

Camped at the foot of a large bluff - the eastern side of the lake. Very cold night. Too tired to collect. Harry went out and got some spiders while I talked palaeontology. On the way up the country was very impressive little vegetation and almost no signs of water. A beautiful little mob of brumbies came down and investigated the convoy of Landrovers and galloped along waiting about 23-25mph for several miles. V. impressive. Dunes about 20-30 ft high, fairly well vegetated except the crests.

> 28th August 1970 (Friday)
Camped at Lake Kanunda. Up at 5 am, dreadfully cold. The Sminthopsis had died in the night. A female with large teats but no young. Preserved in formalin [WR218] F. Sminthopsis crassicaudata centralis, very large ears (rather like lirtipes) tail, invanited but not fat, white patches behind the ears very marked. Ears without the the distinct dark triangle of sunken S. crassicaudata. Tail shorter than H and B., feral colour a display four al white indourifers.

Clayton Bore shown on Birdsville Track between Marree and Etadunna H.S. ; W.H.Butler by hand, HB. 80, HF16, FA19, TV68, F22. Photographed the stratigraphy at the camp site. C6824,35 Sketch.

Collected for the scree of Katapiri, very rich indeed.
C6836,37 C6838 Map of the Etadunna localities. Scheds.

1. ADELAIDE RIDE : SCIENTIFIC PERMIT TO COLLECT PROTECTED FAUNA EXCLUDING RARE SPECIES RECOMMENDED TO MINISTER WILL DESPATCH TO PERTH OLSEN
2. PERTH RIDE : SUGGEST YOU CONTACT GILES DIRECT THEIR ADDRESS OUTPOST ALICE SPRINGS  BANNISTER

Drove north along the lake then out to Lake Pitikanta, a remarkable lake with excellent exposures of Etadunna fm. Saw how whole skeleton Dyprotodontidae were collected on earlier expeditions where driver presence is indicated by signs of surface bane.
Mandible of small Dyprotodon Ngapakaldia as found by weating pattern.

General view of above. Etadunna fm with tigia and a Katzini channel in mesa background. Another skeleton revealed by ducertution.

5 skeletons revealed in valley. Mandible 04 excavated and shellac added. Plaster badged for removal. Had lunch and then drove back to Lake Ngapakaldi.

Very unimpressive. Low exposures on the Eastern side. An island in the middle and the Western side have better exposures but no vertebrate fossil locs. C6810 general scene of exposures. Walked northwards for a little bluff midway along the Southern side of the lake and came to the Wipajiri loc. This is a very strange locality walked by small clasts reaching out into the beach. They found it by avere and some turtle bones which weakened out. They then put in a trench and find that it was a channel rising parallel to the beach and below the present surface: it is in the Etadunna but there is no Tirari fms to give superimprintual control ? Where does it come in the sequence ? The fauna is very strange indeed. the channel enters Etadunna clasts. Is there some possibility that the channel is itself laid down in Etadunna times and not post-Etadunna ?

Clasts on the beach.
Clasts of fossil plants (Detail)

Drove up into the dunes to find a little valley for the night. The evening started warm 67*F - collected spiders & wrote up diary. Got cold by 11.00. To bed.

> 29th August 1970 (Saturday)
Camped at Lake Ngapapaldi. Left to drive south via Pitikanta to pick up the mandible in plaster block. Dick Tedford and Mike Plane decided to go north with the Bureau party to investigate some as yet unexplored lakes which had good exposures in the photos. Left at 0810 after sched and sent RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH LEAVING ETADUNNA TODAY ON WAY ALICE SPRINGS STOP TELL JOHN PERMITS OK LOVE DEE

Passed old well. Harry shot 2 Babblers that he is not familiar with. Took photos of the locality which is approx  1.5 m. north of Wyalta Waterhole in Cooper Creek (654448) [C690].

Cooper Creek. We joined the truck we took work at his place. We had got one dune too far east on the way back and did not have the advantage of the seismic track. [C690].
Crossing of the Cooper.

Cannuwaukaninna Bore. had a wonderful bath in hot water, washed the spilt oil off the roof of the Toyota (due to oil cans being insuffiently stood and splitting in the roof rack) and washed our clothes.

Clayton Bore. Met the others and camped for the night. Had a good talk, especially with Jim Warren. He will write to me about the need for an Australian Carbon Dating Ind. to be run on a commercial(?) basis. I have told him that I will have a go at the WAIT

> 30th August 1970 (Sunday)
Camped at Clayton Bore, said goodbye.
Started on the Birdsville Track and photographed Marree [C6916]
Marree 24 gals of super, All new supplies of vegetables and meat $9.52
Signpost Oodnadatta road.
Gate in Dog Fence.
Photo of country - very desolate Margaret Siding !
Mount Hamilton Homestead
William Creek Hotel - Turned west off the Oodnadatta road at a signpost Oodnadatta  130
Anna Creek Homestead turned left at road marked to Coober Pedy.
Gibber plain (photo[c6919].

Camped beside creek in good eucalypts, the first we have seen all day of any size. The country we have been through is very desolate and heavily grazed. For the first part (i.e. Birdsville Track - William Creek mostly "bush" or mitchell grass, very little ground cover). After William Creek a few sandhills but not much cover. After Anna Creek low vegetated dunes with extensive gibber between. Altogether very little vegetation left but enough to show that there must have been pretty good cover prior to stocking - but now virtually nothing. There does not seem to be any plant (like spinifex in Pilbara) which has taken advantage of the situation.

Blew a tyre (staked) coming into amp - Harry fixed it as well as that we did the other day. H collected spiders, a beautiful yellow one. Temp 43*, I prepared maps.

> 31st August 1970 (Monday)
Camped on creek to east of Coober Pedy. Photo [C6920] of map with Etadunna Formation locs. filled in for teaching.
0800 Sched sent.
OFFICER IN CHARGE ANIMAL INDUSTRIES BRANCH N.T.ADMIN. , ALICE SPRINGS. AM INFORMED COPY OF MY PERMIT IS WITH YOU STOP WISH TO AVOID DEVIATING THROUGH ALICE SPRINGS THROUGH KULGERA UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY PLEASE ADVISE RIDE

[C6528]Photo of Coolibahs along creek bank at camp. Spiders cone osteid (the new yellow one) in burrows about 8" degs" in sediment above creek bank. Sediments sandy gossels did not find in the soft lam. Bruno with silk-lined rim and lined with silk. Photographed spider & bread bin - also a small-chosed scorpion which we found about 12 inches down in a Trapdoor spider burrow [6521-27].

Coober Pedy. A remakable place which looks like an outback town which has been set down in the middle of a mine. Heaps of mullock all over them place, dirt roads anywhere anyone wanted to take a vehicle a cloud of dust & vehicles parked all over the place, an increddible mixture of built places (pub,  post office, store etc.) as well as the traditional dugouts. Called on Eric Smith of "Aladdin's Cave"- a contact of Harry Butler's. Eric sells opals and anything else which will catch a tourist. Had coffee with him in his 11 room dugout. It cost him $20,000 dollars only a couple of years ago. He is the chairman of the Progress association. They are fighting hard for local government and were responsible for the recent clear up of some hard cases following the recent robbings and stabbing of an opal buyer. Had a few drinks with him and agreed to identify a shell for him. Fuel 16 gals supplies $4.22 (total to date $13.54).

Drove over to the rubbish tip to see if we could find any small shells which Harry found last time he was here. Nothing except 2 small boys spending a useful morning breaking bottles ! Wrote to Sunes & Kathy.

Mt. Willoughby Homestead. Oodnadatta Rd. joins from the east. Welbourn Hill. Camp in mulga on a stray plane. After we had eaten we went out and collected spiders. V. few species here but many individuals. The country here is pretty poor. For the first 70 miles north of Coober Pedy it was gibber plain with very little vegetation at all, a little low scrub here a cheae and an occasional mulga. At about 60-70 m. N. of Coober Pedy stands of mulga become common and for the next 50 or so miles one almost continues. However since then there have been alternate gibber plains & mulga. The camp is in mulga with virtually no industry - much frequented by cattle. The gibber plain surrounding it is very bare.
Approx 24 m. S. of Gibber Downs Homestead on the Coober Pedy Rd.

> 1st Sept. 1970 (Tuesday) 1st day of Spring.
Camp 24 m. S. of Granite Downs H.S.
Recd. following. RIDE 8WNX ALICE SP. PERMIT OK PROCEED DIRECTLY STOP LETTER RE EXPORT OF SPECIMENS FOLLOWING:CHIEF ANIMAL INDUSTRIES.
Sent 1.BANNISTER 284411 PERTH OMITTING ALICE SPRINGS BY ASSESSMENT N.T.A. PROCEEDING KULGERA AYRES ROCK DIRECT TODAY  RIDE
2. OFFICER IN CHARGE 8SCG (GILES) ALICE SPRINGS. HAVE I PERMISSION TO REFUEL AT GILES UP TO 30 GALS 3RD SEPTEMBER RIDE DIRECTOR W.A.MUSEUM
Drove northwards, a lovely day, country badly affected by grazing.
Photo of degraded mulga country [C6933].

Granite Downs turnoff. out of fuel in tank (consumption p - 250 miles at 12 1/2 mpg : not good enough). Very nice patch of good mulga & grevillea[C6934,5].
Border of N.T./S.A.. Country still generally rather poor but rather more grass.

Victory Downs turnoff. Victory Downs. Now running a motel business, fuel 22 1/2 gals. Lunch stop. Photo of a rather nice Cassia [C6926] collected a bit too. It occurs as a rather pale green bush in sandhills.

Sched. Telegram recd. RIDE 8WNX PERTH10.12am
PERMISSION NECESSARY FROM DIRECTOR WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT TO ENTER PROHIBITED AREA INCLUDING GILES STOP FAMILY WELL STOP THEY WILL CONTACT YOU SOONEST STOP LETTER AT WARBURTON STOP REGARDS BANNISTER

Photo of Musgrave Ranges at N.E. end [C7001].

Mulga Park H.S. Looks a nice place, lovely country with excellent mulga and various shrubs including the Cassia and native poplar Codnocarpus. Good grass. Photo of road lined with native poplars [C7002].

First Triodia we have seen in the whole trip! From here on the whole plant association begins to look more familiar and typical of the Western Desert as we know it. Occasional sandhills, grasses and spinifex seeding. Plenty of water, Euros in rocky places.
Mt Connor looking as striking as I expected from the air [C7003]

Curtin Springs, Mrs Dawn Severis (husband Peter away), a motel & petrol station. Dawn very pleasant to us, gave us a cup of tea (she was a Qld friend of Harry Butler who visited with the U.S. Exped. and also with Rolf Harris) and let us have a shower. Very nice. Felt well dressed afterwards despite lack of ironing. At least our clothes did not call attention to us. A busload of schoolgirls (from Melburne S.C.E.G.G.S.) had broken down there  (50 tourist buses a day!) - schoolgirls are rather more attractive than I remember!

Camp. Went spider collecting T. 52*F, very few individuals about. None in the dune. Shot a rabbit with the .410 pistol. Got one Lialis burtonis being not spinifex, H. shot a Tadarida australis in the firelight! m. [WR219], ivB 85 mm, TV 47 mm, HF12 mm., E 29 gm., forearm 55 mm., Wt. 34 gms., gulmar pouch of moderately developed Hairs in two tufts but not bristle or strikingly rich brown as in [217]

> 2nd Sept 1970 (Wednesday) 
Camp 6m. w. of Curtin Springs in mulga in a slight clay flat with desert oaks and mulga. A sandhill behind, some spinifex. [C7004] First photos of Ayres Rock. Sched 1 recd DR RIDE 8WNX WEAPONS RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT SALISBURY S.A. SUGGEST YOU PICK UP FUEL AT DOCKER RIVER AS GILES IS NOT SET UP TO SUPPLY FUEL AND IS IN ANY CASE A RESTRICTED AREA. WEAPONS SALISBURY

Ayres Rock Warden's Office & letter box. Talked to Derek Roth, Curator of the Rock (Ranger). They are having real problems over controlling people and keeping them in camping areas and on roads. They had 27,000 last year and 15 tourist buses a day at present. His offsider is Ian Carwood and Lance ?. He was particularly bitter about so-called naturalists etc who seem to think that they need special treatment. He gave an example of a group from the University of Adelaide who were not aware that they needed permits. He is an ex-policeman from Nairobi and seems competent.
Collected owl pellets, and bones from ambast in a ledge.

Met Dave Simpson and (aboriginal) wife Trixie, he is a motor mechanic and is trying to get set up at the Rock. He is performing unofficially under canvas (a camp - with corrugated iron under the canvas!) and has a small museum of artifacts. He would like to get some lainduley points.
8.00 left Rock.

Took a lot of photos round the Rock and also over towards Olgas. Desert oaks lovely. Left circular track in the NW of Mt. Olga, joined Giles track [C7014] last photo at Mt Olga, joined Giles track at Nat. Park sign. Collected Ampliboleus inernis in flat burrow after it ran across the road. Collected noteu.

Armstrong Creek. Photographed beefwood and blackwood on the flat (beefwood's a drooping Acacia, bloodwood is a Eucalypt) [C7018]

Camp on the edge of a dune 6 miles east of the Irving Creek crossing on the Giles Road. Sandhill alive with small mammal tracks. Set all the Elliott traps (20) and also set about 26 breakbacks. Went out in the evening to look for spiders, again very few induviduals here T.55*F. Collected a gecko as well. Back in camp H. shot a Nycticeius in the spotlight. [WR220] Nycticeius , H B 53 mm., Ear 13mm., TV37 mm. forearm 35mm. HF 8 wt 10 gm. The bats are flying low over a profusely flowering Acacia, very difficult photo, they were so close. The Acacia is a lovely white-stemmed little tree (?shrub) about 8ft. tall.[C7019].

Very tired,  I don't know why because we rose late and have not done much today. To bed at 10.30

> 3rd Sept. (Thursday)
Camped on the Westward facing of a sandhill 6 miles East of Irving Creek. Mulga on the flat, spinifex and grass on the sandhill with flowering acacias and a few mallee-form Eucalypts with broad leaves. Trapped one Notomys alexis f. [WR221] H & B 98, E 24, O+2=4, tv139, Wt 36 g , Hf 32, Incisors not grooved. Made him a stall. Gular pouch a rather confusing feature. It is a whorl of white hairs with a bare area in the centre. When the animal is relaxed it looks like a pouch but when it is examined closely & stretched it can be seen that there is barely enough of a raised rim to call it a pouch Nevertheless there is little doubt that it is alexis. The book might be improved by the words "(sometimes a saucer-like depression of bare skin)" inserted after "pouch". Pregnant 4 foetuses approx 18 x 13 in utero. Note: When the animal was skinned the pouch showed as a thin window-like area in the throat. The creamy white hair of the actual area also shows through the skin. Both areas are separate [C7020] locality of N. alexis (sandhill). Holes common, tracks everywhere.

Photos of the two eucalypts of the country. Collected species for honesis Blackwell [C7021,2] opposite leaved small fruit.(mallee form but also as a tree about 40 ft high).[C7023,4] alternate leaved bigger fruits.

Small rock cistern on side of road in a low outage of granite. Typical Desert rockhole bad dry and not maintained.

A tree of Duboisia hopwoodi, Pitcheri, about 10 ft tall [C7025, 6, 7,8] also a mob of about 20 camels.

[C7028] photo of the edge of the Petermann country [C7030] of Bloods Range in distance.  This is lovely country ; by groves of Desert oaks, some white backed Eucalypts in addition to the mallees, mulga and gidgee None of it has been grazed and there is no browse line. The grass and spinifex is in high seed and it all looks golden and wonderful.

Shaw Creek.
Chirnside River, lots of Wirlies on the flat [C7031] - deraded.
Hull River Lasseter's Cave where they found his log.[C7032,3]. A lovely place under these conditions - but woeful without hope of relief.
A grindstone and pieces of ochre on the river flats.

Petermann range - view across to the gap behind the Ruined Ramparts [C7034].  Docker River Crossing.

Docker River Settlement. Met Supt who runs it for the N. T. Administration. This is not a mission but a Govt. Welfare place. Well equipped with canares about 300 people here. Supt hopes to run cattle - this will be the end of this wonderful place. 12 gals.

Sent to BANNISTER  PHONE 284411 PERTH
WIRELESS U/S PLEASE SEND FURTHER TRAFFIC WARBURTON REGARDS RIDE (CHARLIE 8WNX)
W.A. Border. Just before that saw a grove of blackboys also took [C7035] to the north.

Rebecca Creek. T.O. to Sandy Blight Junction, photo of white eucalypts [C7036] Giles Corner NOT  41 miles as per map BUT 31. To road down a track to camp at 714.4. Collected spiders. 52* F.

> 4th Sept (Friday) 1970
Camped some miles down a track to the east of the main track in an attempt to find a rock-hole marked approx 16 m. s. of Giles Corner on the map. These maps are difficult to me because of the lack of features. Must tell John Morgan.
Back on main track.
Northern edge of area excluded from Native Reserve (identified by "F.E.Govt" signs)
Photo of a new Mallee [C7101]

Blackstone Camp turnoff. Photo of a dead mulga and regenerating mulga is a situation that stock could not be involved. Mt. Aloysius in background [C7102]. Track joins far west along northern flank of range. T. O. to the Wingellina Camp. Wingellina Camp. Met John Smith and Mrs. Smith (camp manager), Dave Louth (Manager of Alice office of International Nickel), Cliff Hall. The men have all left preparatory for the total shut-down and John Smith expects to move out in a week or so. They invited us to use their hot showers (bliss) and took the opportunity to do a little washing as well. They gave us lunch and afterwards they all took us around the sites which were reported on by Crawford and Tomlinson.

S.A. Border nearest Mt. Davies [C7103]. Cleft in range making Irundju waterhole, this is part of the Papa myth. Crawford's site 1.[C7104-7]

Butler noticed grinding grooves in the rocks and immediately identified these as ochre grinding places for ceremonial - but I am suspicious because I find no ochre lumps at these sites.

Drove up the hill to Crawford's site 12 the place where the dog split in the hillside this is Njugali. Photographs [C7108-11] including a set of stones and sticks and leaves arranged on top of an adjacent rock. Flakes common around this site. Photo[C7112] of Aicotinium.

Arrived at the next site in the Papa myth (Crofonds site 3); the red sandhill where the puppies played. Njiguwalgu. This is a sticky isolated sandhill - quite out of place. International Nickel have fenced it and put up signs.

Drove on to Giani's claim. This is being worked by a group of whites Reg Hockley (manager) & wife, Des..., Norm ... who set up the ground with a bulldozer and then employ natives on piecework to pick up drums of chrysoprase or moss agate. Reg estimates that in a 10 day period a man can at the current rate of working about $20  and that he works about 6 hrs per day. This compares unfavorably with the International Nickel rate for natives of $61 per week (6 days ; 8 hrs day) or for casuals $55 which John says he has to reduce to $45 for late starting, etc. This should be looked into. The per drum rate is $10 for chrysoprase and $5 for moss agate.

Drove over Wingellina Hill where took photos of cave Njangalba, and hill with pyrics (pieces of magnesite) Ngangguna  [C7118-21]. Some of the magnesite is clearly placed in position, one small cave had yellow ochre on the floor, the larger cave had ayle charcoal (Site 13). Also took photos [C7122,3] of the ruins of the place where the dingo bitch had been. This had been destroyed by rock hunters.

Back at camp took photos of Stran's instructions to employees re sacred sites [C7124]
Mining camp at Wingellina.
Main road to Blackstone, Giles, etc.
Blackstone turnoff - took it. Blackstone camp and mill. Seems deserted.
Camp on side of road, probably  a couple of miles short of the Cavenagh Range turnoff.
Collected spiders and turned in. A very warm night - no wind.

One huge spider - very beautiful with very long striped legs and small body ; Red eyes, adpressed to a round boulder in a wash. Most memorable. Very few spiders of about 5 species. A mulga thicket in a creek with gravels.

> 5th Sept 1970 (Saturday)
Camped in a mulga flat on the side of the road. The site is a wash of black sand and boulders and has nothing to commend it except a total absence of bindiie! It is incredibly dead and no tracks around the camp.
Cavenagh Range track to south, stayed on main road.
Bilbring and Lightning rocks. The rockhole is completely dry. Looked over Bilbring, there has been no defacementof the pictographs since I was last here but tyremarks show that the rock at wayside is visited.[C7125,26]

Giles Tank still has a little water in it - very low in incredibly dry season. Main tank empty i.e. we have done 277 miles since Docker River on the main tank much of it at 50-60 mph. Tank on roadside: mill and tank.

Warburton Mission. There had been a message over our fuel and they will only let us have 20 gals to fill the main tank. Very irritating because we counted on the extra to get us down to the sticknest rat locality. 3 girls at the hospital having trouble with severe cases (one a dehydrated baby). Hoped I was a medic, felt sorry for them.

They have had a very poor season about 150 points altogether although they say Cosmo "just down the road" (i.e. 300 miles away)had over 300. No wonder the rockholes are dry.
Native Welfare Reserve sign.

Deviated several times from the road search for the way into the Neale Jn. road without success. Finally found a good road 34.7 miles from Warburton Mission and went down it bearing approx 113*, and heading straight on the skyline for the Simpson Hill group of heights.

Left main road to go down the road , stopped at Hwy , collected a banded whiteface [Aphelocephala nigricinata].
A lovely patch of mallee sandplain between sandhills.
3 White crosses - probably a datum point for aerial photography.
Reluctantly decided to turn back ; too dangerous without wireless and not enough petrol to get us to Cosmo. Camped in the mallee sandplain seen before.

Harry shot a Tadarida australis [222] f. with much white, a white collar and two white patches on the lower thorax on either side extending to the red vertical line from the two round white stripes. Garlai(?) pouch very obvious , but tuft of hair and small all within the pouch. H. made a skin to show colour. H & B 88 mm., E.26, TV46, fuermn 60, HF 13, Wt. 34 g. body in spirit.

Collected spiders, not many around despite reasonably warm eveving, moths numerous while at Warburton we collected mail and telegrams, mail for me with news of family. Telegram:
1. 4.9.70.  10am.RIDE
JUST HEARD FITZGERALD HEARING PROBABLY WEDNESDAY SEPT 9TH. CAN YOU MAKE IT.
 BANNISTER.
2. 4.9.70. 10.37 RIDE
THANKS FOR LETTER ALL GOING WELL LOVE MARGARET
3. 5.9.70 Perth RIDE
FITZGERALD HEARING NOW THOUGHT MORE LIKELY 14 SEPT 1970 BUT TO BE CONFIRMED.
 BANNISTER WA MUSEUM.
SENT. RIDE PHONE 862242 PERTH PASSED THROUGH WARBURTON SATURDAY WILL PHONE FROM LAVERTON MONDAY IF WE   GET THERE TELL BANNISTER LOVE   DEE.

> 6th Sept 1970 (Sunday)
Camp in mallee in sandhills. We recorded this locality on the label of the Tadarida as approx 25 m. ENE of Winduldana Rock Hole approx 25 m. SSW of Warburton Mission. [C7129, 30] of eucalypts at the site.

Curved back at main road, airstrip across the road. Road curves away northwards towards Sutherland Range. - all these factorsa point towards the road we are on being Dick Huotham's road to Neale Junction.

Winduldarra Rock Hole . The rockhole is very similar to Gamba R...