Uncovering Family Heritage:
I’m continuing the research of my family tree — a journey first begun by my Nanna, Norma King, in the 1970s. Among her papers are countless fascinating photographs of near and distant relatives, each one a portal into another time. But one photo in particular grabbed my attention: a black-and-white image of my Great Uncle Harry (Henry Arthur King), seated proudly on a camel. He had given the photo to Norma, and on the back he wrote:
“‘His Nibs’ — This is me on Creamy. Note holster and automatic on belt.”
That photo and brief note opened a door. I wanted to learn more. I asked my dad, uncles and Aunts, but family memory of how he became part of the expedition was vague. Luckily, while cataloguing my Nanna’s research, I found a hand-written account of his adventure that she wrote in an old exercise book. I also uncovered a transcript of an interview he gave in 1971. What follows is a history of the Canning Stock Route from Harry King’s perspective, based on Norma’s notes, his interview, and additional historical sources.
🧭 How Harry King Met Alfred Canning
In 1926, Alfred Wernham Canning and Henry Sanford King arrived in Lawlers to survey pastoral leases. They were looking to employ a young assistant and asked the local Mining Registrar, George Flanagan, if he knew anyone suitable. Flanagan suggested Harry King and his wife Lillian, who had many sons. My great-grandparents, Harry and Lillian, had seven sons and four daughters, and ran a market garden with a herd of goats.
Canning and Sanford King must have been impressed with Harry (Junior), because they hired him. He was only sixteen years old, and felt honoured to be working with two of the State’s most respected surveyors. He was already aware of Canning’s earlier expedition between Wiluna and Halls Creek in 1906, and the subsequent completion of the route with the sinking of 51 wells between 1908 and 1910.
Harry worked for Canning and King’s surveying business for about three years. He began around Lawlers, then moved on to projects near Wiluna, Meekatharra, and the Gascoyne. He also joined them in surveying sandalwood reserves along the Trans-Australian Railway line.
🛠️ Joining the 1930 Canning Stock Route Expedition
In 1929, while working elsewhere in Wiluna, Harry heard that Canning was forming a new expedition to repair the wells along the Canning Stock Route. Eager to be part of it, he approached Frank Fimister, a family friend and the Mining Registrar in Wiluna. Fimister sent a telegram to the Lands Department in Perth, requesting that Harry be included. The request was accepted.
The goal of the expedition was practical: to allow cattle to reach southern markets more economically, and to open up sheep country for further development. The demand for meat was high, driven by the influx of people into Western Australia following the gold discoveries. Canning’s party was tasked with refurbishing the long-unused stock route and sinking new wells between Leonora and Wiluna.
From Harry’s recollections that Norma wrote down, the expedition team included:
• Arthur Franklin (works foreman)
• Jim Brooks (camelman)
• Dan Cronin (camelman, formerly with a Geographical Survey party)
• Gus Langham (head of transport, member of the original 1906 expedition)
• Bill Jones, Lew Perkins, Jack Stuart, Frank Walsh
• Bill Dewar (cook)
• Otto Lipfert (taxidermist from the Perth Museum)
• Harry King (timberman)
At the time, the railway had not yet reached Wiluna, so all provisions had to be transported by road from Meekatharra to Windich Springs, their staging camp.
They purchased 52 camels from Mr Easton of Wiluna. Although camels were plentiful, it was difficult to find good riding and pack camels capable of the demanding work ahead.
Harry King and young Jack Stuart were tasked with collecting fifty sheep from a nearby station — the expedition’s mobile meat supply. Harry had never ridden a camel before, but managed to reach the station on his mount, leading a pack camel loaded with water tins. The return trip, however, proved more difficult. His camel, sensing a novice rider, refused to “hooshta” — kneel to be mounted. The camel won, so Harry walked back, leading the camels and herding the sheep.
Unfortunately, something spooked the pack camel, and it bolted — tins clanging loudly as it ran. Harry gave chase but couldn’t catch it. The camel disappeared into breakaway country, knocked off the tins, and rejoined its companions back at camp. A few men went out to find Harry and, much to their amusement, discovered him walking beside his mount with the sheep in tow. Fortunately, Harry soon adapted to camel riding. He later said they were “beaut to ride — ambles just like an armchair.”
🚶♂️ The Journey Begins - Life on the Trail
Canning’s party left Wiluna in May 1929. Provisions and drilling equipment were strapped to camels, while tall timber and swags were carted in four drays. They also had five or six horses. The weather was pleasant — sunny days and cold nights.
Canning, then 70 years old, was still an exceptional surveyor. He located the wells from his earlier expedition with ease and quickly established a working rhythm. After the team began work on a well, he would go ahead — often on foot — to locate the next, usually about 15 miles away. He’d then return and lead an advance party to it. This pattern continued throughout the expedition.
Up to four men were assigned to camel care — known as “the transport.” They ferried gear between wells, ensuring that equipment vulnerable to damage or theft was moved ahead and stored safely. Once the working party finished at a well, the transport team returned to collect camping gear and tools for the next leg.
🛠️ Reconstructing the Canning Stock Route
The wells were in poor condition. Many had been buried, burned, or damaged — the result of termite infestation, natural decay, and, in some cases, deliberate disruption by Aboriginal groups whose traditional water sources and sacred sites had been impacted by the construction. Some wells were located near areas of cultural significance, and their presence may have been seen as an intrusion on Country. The men had to reconstruct much of the route, cutting and trimming Bloodwood, Mulga, and Sheoak trees. They removed old timber, drilled, and re-lined the wells. Remarkably, the Sheoak timber used in Canning’s earlier expedition showed no signs of rot — its thick, serrated bark had protected it from both fire and decay.
Well depths varied: some were 60 feet, others just 8 to 12 feet. Well No. 41 was only 1 foot deep.
From Well No. 11 (Goodwin’s Soak), the next 400 miles were monotonous — endless spinifex and sand hills, broken only by occasional mulga-lined watercourses. Due to the terrain, two drays were left behind at Well 11. The remaining two were loaded with provisions and swags, each pulled by nine camels.
🐾 Camels, Creatures, and Cameras
While the men worked on the wells, Mr Lipfert, the taxidermist, collected specimens for the Perth Museum. He discovered new species of marsupials, reptiles, rodents, birds, and insects. His horsemanship also improved — after being bucked off early in the journey and losing his horse for two days, he had no further mishaps.
Traveling through sand and spinifex was slow and repetitive. Camels laboured through dunes, sometimes in single file when the spinifex grew too high. A clan pan or rocky range offered welcome relief. At one point, Harry was entertained by a fierce goanna fight, which he captured with his Kodak Brownie — a simple cardboard box camera that produced 2¼-inch square photos.
🧀 Cheese, Camels, and Christmas
Before reaching Well No. 39, provisions ran dangerously low. All that remained were tins of Red Feather cheese, barley, and milk powder. When pierced, the contents of the cheese tins erupted skyward. Canning decided to bypass several wells and head straight to Halls Creek for supplies. For three or four days, the men survived on powdered milk alone.
At Billiluna Pool, they searched for the homestead. Two days later, they found it — 40 miles away. A bullock was purchased and slaughtered, and the men finally enjoyed a feast. The manager, Dick Rowan, welcomed them warmly for Christmas.
The first question asked upon arrival: “Who won the Melbourne Cup?” They were told Phar Lap had won — nearly two months earlier. With no portable radios, they’d had no news from the outside world.
 |
| Camp at No 28 Well. Photo by Harry King |
🐪 Hardship and Hostility - Cultural Encounters
When they arrived at Halls Creek, they had to wait for supplies — the storekeeper had run out due to early summer rains delaying transport. Eventually, they secured the needed supplies, goats and sheep for the return journey.
Harry noted that the camels were uneasy in the Kimberley and eager to head south. The men, too, were glad to leave — the mosquitoes were relentless.
Near Well No. 40, the party erected a headstone on the grave of Michael Tobin, who had been speared during Canning’s first expedition. Canning once told Harry that an Aboriginal man with a woomera was as dangerous as someone with a loaded rifle — such was their skill. A woomera is a wooden spear-throwing device that extends the arm’s reach, increasing speed and force of the spear.
According to Harry’s account, the party saw a group of up to forty Aboriginal people at one location, but generally encountered few others during the journey. He recalled that the team sometimes suspected they were being followed when they heard dingoes howling — a sound he believed indicated scavenging for food scraps. Unlike Canning’s first expedition, they experienced no direct conflict, though two camels were taken between Wells No. 41 and 48. One was later found slaughtered for meat; the other was never recovered. Harry reflected on the incident by saying, “They got a hostile reception, but what else could you do?” From that point on, the camels were more closely guarded.
Harry did not record any details about the use of Aboriginal labour or how guides/assistants were recruited during his time on the expedition. He did mention that some Aboriginal men were chained at night when they attempted to leave — a practice reportedly justified at the time by fears of retribution from other groups. According to Harry, guides were concerned about entering unfamiliar Country without the appropriate cultural permissions, and Canning gave them coins with the centres cut out, claiming they offered protection. However, I have not been able to verify these verbal accounts in the historical records available to me. (see note below)
🏁 The Final Stretch - The Adventure Ends
The rest of the journey was uneventful, though supplies dwindled again. The worst moment, according to the men, was when the tobacco ran out — a week before completion. Two men were sent to Wiluna on pack horses to fetch supplies and were greeted with great relief upon return.
Harry believed cattle would lose weight between Wiluna and Halls Creek due to the poor grazing — mostly spinifex, with only scattered waterholes and mulga strips. He noted that sand dunes were bare, and erosion was so severe that camel and dray tracks could disappear within hours.
The expedition took nearly 16 months, far longer than Canning’s 10-month estimate. When the party returned to Wiluna, they were shabby, bearded, and exhausted, but proud. They were welcomed by the Mayor and townspeople, and after celebrations, the party disbanded.
Harry later told his family that this was the highlight of his life. He felt privileged to have worked with Alfred Canning, one of the State’s greatest surveyors, on what would be his final expedition.
Harry earned £12 per month, plus keep — good pay at the time. With 16 months’ wages and nowhere to spend it, he returned wealthy in the midst of the Depression. But, in his own words, he “did a foolish thing” — following his father’s footsteps by investing in a gold mine. Soon, the money was gone, but his precious photos and reminiscences remained.
No comments:
Post a Comment