Highway Quiz #2

G`Day
I have driven most of Len Beadells roads in the last three years.

If any
of you want some info PM me before I set off for the Gibb River road in May

OLDBOB70

just make sure you buy the ones by Len and not some BS about him.

I was referring to another book "Len Beadell's Legacy". I hadn't heard of Mark Shephard's book, though I'll see if I can find it now

Hi BC. I wasn't aware of 'another' biography but Google is your friend - you mean the one by Ian Bayly?

Review of that book is at www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/d...frg8h6-1225842932289

and I guess that the quoted passages in the review could reflect community attitudes of the time, but it is at odds with Len's own stories.

Well Allan, again it is only my opinion, but as much as Ian Bayley is very critical of Len Beadell, I would guess that the reality is that Len probobly spent more time with the aboriginies than Ian would have, and again I would guess he did more physically to assist them. I wasn't very impressed with Ian's book to me it seemed like a vehicle for him to acuse someone from a different time (who can't defend themselves now).

I'm sure you would enjoy Shephard's book. Unfortunately it is out of print. I managed to get a brand new 4th edition copy (printed 2003) just a few years ago, but no sign of any about now; I had been loaned an earlier edition to read about 10 or 12 years ago.
It is available though in many libraries.
(Naturally I have all of Len's books, the videos, and the Shepparton Talk.)

I can't be 100% sure.....either 1972 or 73. I was just out of my apprenticeship and working for the now defunct Department of Civil Aviation. I was the mechanic for Mobile Maintenance Unit #2.

We consisted of 7 guys, 3 Leyland Super Hippo tippers(with hungry boards fitted), a Cat 12E grader, a Cat D6C dozer, Cat 920 loader, a Dodge truck (small) and 3 caravans (no a/c's fitted of course) and a few 7 ton 4 wheel trailers that carted all the junk. My truck was a Perkins powered Inter 4 WD (D1610) set up as a mobile workshop and it pulled a trailer filled with all our spare parts.

We always travelled in convoy, the grader pulling two trailers in the lead with me following in the rear fixing all the broken bits as we went along.

About the end of August we pulled out of the old DCA workshop near Alice Springs airport and started off down the south road. It was about 3 miles of black-top, then dirt the rest of the way.

Day 1 got us to Mt. Ebenezer roadhouse, a few repairs needed doing then a cold (Kimberley Cool) beer or 3....West End Export in the big bottle!!.

Day 2 got us to Mulga Park....start of the Gunbarrel Highway. This was a dream come true. I read Beadells' Too Long In The Bush about 5 years previous and had longed to see the sort of country he had worked in.

Day 3 got us to Amata Reserve....different name now. It was near the start of the Peterman Ranges.....awesome scenery.

Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6 we spent camped along the road in various places. Some days we would do 20 miles, some days 50. Loved the nights, just lay back on the swag and look at the sky.

We eventually got to the Mount Davey turnoff near the point where WA, SA and NT borders meet. From there we went about another 80 mile to an Aboriginal Reserve called Wingellina. This was our camp for the next 2 months or so. We built a brand new airstrip there from virgin land.

I had many fascinating trips around the area...up to Giles Weather Station, across to Docker River to pick up spares from the regular weekly bus run and stuff like that.

I got to know a couple of the local guys pretty well.....give em a bag of "sooga" or a "ropman pilta" and they were a friend for life. These guys pointed out every sign that Len Beadell made, every spot where he camped.....they were unreal with their stories about the big yellow machines that made strange noises and blew black smoke. The dozer was called "car with no wheels"

At the competion of the airstrip we were packing up ready to move to the next job. We used to do a radio sched twice a day with the base in Alice Springs. We got told we were having visitors the next day. Sure enough, a 4 seater plane landed and these "suits" got out, took photos, shook hands and had a squizz around our gear and camp.

Out of the dust came an old (new then) FJ45 Land Cruiser wagon, brown and beige color. Out jumps Len Beadell himself and his lovely wife Anne. They were out there having a nostalgia trip and saw the plane land. so they decided to come over and see what all the fuss was about. Old Sid, our MMU foreman had worked with Len previously and we spent hours sitting in the mess tent yakking away. Truly a magnificent day.....etched in my memory forever.

We left that camp on the same day Frank Reys won the Melbourne Cup on Gala Supreme. We headed back to our next job......back along the Gunbarrel Highway to Amata Reserve. We worked that area until I pulled the pin after falling in love in Melbourne a year or so later.

I had hundreds of photos and the old Super 8 movies from my time out there and used to look at them often and say to myself "get back there....that's Gods country"

Unfortunately, when I divorced the "Spending Lady" in 2006 or 7, she carefully packed them up to send to me but they "accidently" caught fire. Memories are all I have now but they will stay with me forever.

Grumpy

RE: About the end of August we pulled out of the old DCA workshop near Alice Springs airport

Probly sent m all broke will all the pales of piss u drank

LOL

Cheeerz

Bottoms up

Dunno about that Swishy.....in those days it was pretty limited....Swan brewed in Darwin, VB, Fosters, Fourex, West End or Southwark........just thinking about a couple of those brands turns my guts. No beaut Coopers Pale Ale then.

Thanks for sharing Grumpy, I'm envious.

...hey grumpy .. do they sell ''ropman pilta's'' in bahrain ?... ...alway knew you were a bloody legend...

HEY SHERLOCK

Not much in the way of "ROPMAN PILTA" in Bahrain, but plenty of Budweiser and tear gas.
Not many Truckie Pubs like Kalkallo or the "Gearbox" in Footscray or Charlie Suttons' pub in Spotswood either.

Your'e a legend too mate.....be there in August !!