Nan Broad, BA Hons Curtin WA, PhD UNDA – Patron of Walker Brothers Prospecting Expedition 1913
For a child growing up on a station in the East Gascoyne where stockmen camped out in the bush and only came to the homestead occasionally while itinerant droving teams passed by often, the cattle moving slowly past while banter and bushmen’s jokes passed by with the drovers. It was all very romantic to a young person until adulthood brought a life of remote fieldwork in the northwest of Australia and the unknown, with accompanying hardship and exertion of bush laughter emanated from the showoff drovers. Even so, the remote remained partially known from historic journals and field books of those who had gone before.
All entered to movement, was experienced, apart from crossing a traverse noted along the same mode. Explorers did not enjoy such knowledge, apart from crossing a traverse noted by an earlier traveller, all was untried and subject to doubt. Life depended on water, healthy animals, relatively easy terrain and a clear knowledge of position at any time.
With a healthy understanding of the invaluable information accrued by at any time, Nan was able to undertake field trips in the manner of exploration, explorers. Nan was able to practice the modus operandi established by the successful teams who using much of the way of travel incorporated ‘got through’ and reached their destinations. This way of travel incorporated all activities from keeping the transport operating, whether care of livestock or maintenance of vehicles, carrying sufficient horseshoes or spare tyres, basic medical supplies, assuring food was adequate for the journey, having maps and compasses or GPS equipment and, most importantly, keeping comradeship and good cheer amongst the team.
All of the above was practiced by the successful explorers and became the benchmark of successful bush travelling for all who would venture ‘out there’ or into the centre of Australia. Nan was already used to isolation and developed a passion for local outback history. Returning from a muster on the outer fringe of a De Grey station where aeroplanes, bull buggies and horses competed to gather wild scrubber cattle through rough bush into makeshift yards, she realised that the old droving era was long over and fading from collective memory. For some succeeding years she moved about the northwest taping the memories of old stockmen and drovers with a vague idea of documenting the stories one day. Among those whose memory Nan cherishes is that of Andy Everett, Meekatharra stockman, and one of the team on the Walker Brothers expedition.
Later again Nan attended university which culminated in acquiring a doctorate in history and geography with her thesis on the stock routes of the northwest. The fieldwork subsequently used for this had been happening for some time, as she took different groups of interested people on traverses along portions of the major gazetted routes. All were informative, productive and great fun for all. The first entailed a trip from Meekatharra to Port Hedland along the Davis, Nullagine and de Grey river system following one of the major pathways for stock from the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions to reach the rail system for transport to Perth.
Twelve people travelled in three vehicles and conditions in the 1980s were comparatively primitive. Four children in the party rode on swags in the back of a utility, no chairs or tables were carried and cooking remained basic, although magnificent loaves of bread regularly appeared from the ashes in a camp oven. The journey gave Nan a basic feeling for the terrain and the distance the droved animals were subjected to and the rigours of day and night endured by their stock handlers.
Many more such trips were taken along different routes, with different groups. All entered into the reasons for going and worked at gathering information along the way, thus becoming a team united in learning and enjoyment. After the thesis university was completed and Nan turned to further travel in the same mode. One of these followed Samuel Hübbe sent by the South Australian Government to find a way to bring cattle from Oodnadatta to Coolgardie. With her colleague and others in the party Nan has driven over all of Hübbe’s route except for a small portion in the centre.
As with all exploration passing over unknown country is exciting, wondrous and enjoyable. Nan feels as the early parties did and will continue to travel until age precludes such adventures. She is proud to become the Patron of the Walker brother’s published traverse wherein they adhered to all the best practices and successfully completed their mission.