Australia So Much to See
The Canning Stock Route, Western Australia
Australian Geographic - The Canning Stock Route
With Aboriginals as guides, 46-year-old surveyor Alfred Canning trekked north
in 1906 to establish a route that would eventually bear his name. He was endeavouring to find a way by which East Kimberley cattle
could be taken to southern markets. Previous explorers Lawrence Wells and David Carnegie – who had both lost men on their expeditions
in the area – advised against continuing the search for such a route. “We have demonstrated the uselessness of any persons wasting
their time and money in further investigations of that desolate region,” Carnegie wrote.
But at the instigation of the Secretary for
Mines, Canning set out from Wiluna with seven other men, 23 camels, two ponies, 2.5 tonnes of provisions and 1440 L of water. During
the ensuing 14-month survey the team trekked about 4000 km, often relying on the Aboriginal guides to help them find water.
On his
return, Canning reported that a stock route could be established with fair feed and good water from 52 wells and watering points.
In 1908 he sank the wells. Working in temperatures of around 50°C for weeks at a time his crew completed 51 wells, averaging one every
18 days. The deepest was Well 5, at more than 30 m; the shallowest, Well 42, was just 1.4m.
Many of the wells are now little more than
depressions in the ground and some have their water tainted with the corpses of rotting animals. But according to Kevin Atkins, one
of the last surviving white drovers to have taken cattle down the Canning, non-functioning wells were fairly common: “Three or four
of the wells along the route were out each time.” He quietly describes the three 12–16-week drives he did back in the early 1940s
from south of what is now Old Halls Creek to Wiluna, two of them with legendary drover Wally Dowling. “We’d push the cattle along.
The cattle would drag their bums on the steep dunes – they’d stagger up and we’d cover 10–12 miles [16–19 kilometres] a day.”
Most
of the 31 mobs of cattle that were taken down through the desert up to 1959 were mustered on Billiluna and Sturt Creek stations, out
of Halls Creek.
Getting water up from the wells was hard work and the drovers would use a camel to ‘whip’ the water up in a
12-gallon (50L) canvas bucket – the often-seen steel buckets at each well weren’t favoured by the stockman.
“You couldn’t hold the
cattle back from the wells,” Kevin says. “They’d rush to get to the water especially after three or four days. They wouldn’t go anywhere
though and you’d just have to get the water up and into the troughs."
Once in Wiluna, Kevin would gather a mob of brumbies from stations
such as Carnegie and head back up the stock route, selling them far and wide throughout the Kimberley. “We’d travel faster with the
horses,” he says. “It was an eight-week trip back and we’d bring 40–60 horses back with us. Horses were in short supply in the Kimberley ’cause
of the ‘walkabout disease’ that was prevalent then.” Descendants of those brumbies still roam the Kimberley today and none are fatter
or as well off as the wild horses around Lake Gregory at the northern end of the CSR.
For forty years, the Canning Stock Route periodically provided a vital transport link to the south for Kimberley cattle. By the
mid-1950s, however, the route’s wells and equipment had deteriorated and improvements in coastal shipping and road transport provided
a better alternative than driving cattle overland.
The goldrush and expansion of the colony had created a demand for meat that could not be met from the south. Cattle from Kimberley
pastoral regions were being transported south via an arduous sea journey. This was followed by a long trek inland to the goldfields
by which time the cattle had lost considerable condition and market appeal.
After establishing the feasibility of an inland
stock route, Canning was then instructed to equip 51 watering points along the route. This task was completed in 1910 and the droving
of cattle southward began.
Creating the Canning Stock Route - This link, from australia.gov.au, is no longer available
Creating the Canning Stock
Route was the answer to a host of challenges presented by the Australian outback. Pastoralists raising beef cattle in the Kimberley
region of northern Western Australia needed to bring their cattle to markets in the south, where tens of thousands of people lived
on the goldfields near Kalgoorlie.
In between lay a vast, harsh landscape of sand dunes, spinifex grass and salt pans.
Surveyed and
created in the early 1900s, the scale of the Canning Stock Route is epic. It runs for almost 1800 kilometres, crossing 800 sandhills
and four deserts in one of the most inhospitable environments on earth. It is a marvel of planning and skilful surveying work and
was created without the aid of modern technology or conveniences. Yet, despite the huge effort to create and maintain what was designed
to be a busy cattle-droving corridor, the Stock Route was never heavily used and quickly fell into disrepair. If nothing else, its
existence is proof of nineteenth century European determination to tame the Australian wilderness.
Canning Stock Route - the first and last drives
Drover Tom Cole led the first known cattle drive in 1911, and in 1959, drover
Mal Brown led the last. There were only thirty-five known drives, which seems incredible given the huge amount of resources taken
to construct and maintain it.
In 1906, the Western Australian Government appointed surveyor Alfred Canning to survey an overland stock route from Halls Creek in
the Kimberley to the rail head at Wiluna to bring cattle to growing markets in the south west of the state.
In the 1960s the track began its new phase as the premier route for vehicular adventures. By the early 1980s, more than 100 people
were travelling it each year.
It’s estimated that more than 500 vehicles made the trip in 2008 and numbers have probably increased
since then with the popularity of the track for both Australian and overseas adventure tourists.
Above text has been taken from web pages as per links shown. You can read more by visiting these websites.
Much of the
Canning Stock Route is unsuitable for caravans and preferable without trailers although many do take rough road suitable camper
trailers on the Route. Due to damage to the track by trailers, it is requested that trailers not be taken. We did not
travel far with our caravan as we were heading to the Well 33 campground for the night before heading east towards Alice Springs in
the Northern Territory.
Four Wheel Drive Australia request that trailers not be taken on the Canning Stock Route.
TRACK DAMAGE CAUSED BY TOWING
TRAILERS ALONG CANNING STOCK ROUTE
Plan to use your swag or tent and leave your camper trailers at home. More than the
usual wear and tear caused by travellers towing trailers is of great concern to our fraternity and the locals. Part of the attraction
of this route is the challenge of driving through such a vast wild natural area. The track is not maintained and for the few who drive
it each year this great experience is being lessened by track and roadside damage caused during attempts to haul trailers over dunes
in particular. Nobody wants a highway through this area but it does need suitably set up vehicles to traverse its challenges. With
improved durability in camper trailer design, the track is now the weak link rather than the equipment. The damage caused by
towing trailers highlights that these are not appropriate for this route.
From Four Wheel Drive Australia
Time frames:
Most people choose to do the whole Stock Route over around three weeks. It is now very corrugated and
needs to be travelled slowly, as well as taking the time to enjoy the sights along the way. There is the option of doing half
the route at a time eg Wiluna to Well 33 and Well 33 to Billiluna as separate trips.
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The recommended time to travel along the Canning Stock Route is between May and September. This time of year provides relatively
mild temperatures during the day and evenings. Be warned some evenings may drop to zero degrees so make sure you pack appropriately.
Travelling
outside this time frame is not recommended due to extreme heat and possible wet and boggy conditions. In addition, travelling outside
the main travel season will mean that you are more isolated in this unforgiving terrain.
If there is the potential for
a large amount of rain forecasted, it is advisable to postpone the journey due to boggy conditions. Driving through some areas
of the Canning Stock Route at these times can affect the track for the rest of the travellers. It is strongly advised that you
check with the local authorities on road closures and road conditions before you set out on your journey.
Contact details such as these given for each fuel outlet.
Parnngurr (also called Cotton Creek) is a mid size Aboriginal community
located just off the Talawana track, approximately 95km from Georgia Bore on the Canning Stock Route. As well as being a convenient
refuel point on the CSR, Parnngurr is also the access point to Karlimilyi National Park, the Rudall River Track and Desert Queen Baths.
Diesel supply is reliable and can be bought during shop hours: 9-12am, 2-4pm weekdays, 9-12am Saturday or after hours if arranged
prior. The shop also stocks food, cold drinks, meat and a good selection of fresh fruit and veg. Other services included a car hoist
and mechanical workshop, visitor accommodation, laundry and free showers for travellers.
Permits are not required to visit Parnngurr,
however we do appreciate a call ahead.
Update: As from 14th June 2022, Kuju Wangka are issuing permits for Canning Stock Route travel.
Note: No permits are being
issued as the Canning Stock Route remains closed since 2020 due to Covid restrictions, to protect Aboriginal communities, with no
time frame given for anticipated reopening. Current May 2022.