Thread: Simpson Desert in the mid sixties

With the fire that destroyed our survey vehicle fresh in my mind, I was worried about the dangers of petrol in the desert environment.

Accordingly, when I spotted a second hand 1961 2a 109 trayback diesel in a car yard in Alice, I decided it was time for me to upgrade. I traded in my Series 2 88 hardtop, and got them to transfer the capstan winch to the new vehicle, and to fit Goodyear Unisteels to the rear (no way I could afford all four!), and install a new water tank under the tray, while I went on Christmas break. 196602_Landrover2a_Desert_00247.jpg

The new vehicle proved to be very capable in the desert, with the diesel engine's wide range of torque proving more useful than the higher power of the petrol vehicle. By the middle of the year, I realised the contract was coming to an end, so I decided to return the Landrover to my parents' pace in Sydney. To help this, I arranged for my twin brother (working in Brisbane) to take holidays and share the driving back to Sydney.

Unfortunately, While I was driving to the other crew at North Bore, the clutch plate broke. I got towed to the other camp, and left the vehicle there, getting a lift back to my camp. As a result, when my brother came to Alice Springs, and into our office as arranged, the AS manager handed him a new clutch plate and put him on the supply run to the camps. He managed to install the clutch plate using the tools I carried, plus a pilot shaft made from a few inches cut off the camp broom wrapped with insulation tape.

He then drove to my camp, and we set off the next morning (early for Sydney). Coming past Old Andado, we met the Leyland Brothers, setting out to cross the desert. (See "Where Dead Men Lie"). From there we continued on to Finke and on to the highway (unsealed then), down to Port Augusta and thence Broken Hill, Dubbo, Orange Sydney, driving essentially non stop, stopping for meals and for refuelling (I had a number of jerricans), with the non-driver sleeping as much as possible in the LH seat. From memory, it took us about three days.

My most vivid memory of the trip, was I had handed driving over to my brother in Nyngan, where we ate dinner. I then managed to get to sleep, and woke up as we came Orange. It was still the middle of the night, but it was far brighter than I expected - everything was white, except for a pair of black wheeltracks on each side of the highway. It had snowed!

Of course, in 1961, Landrovers did not come with any heating (or insulation!). Fortunately, we were dressed for winter, but it was still cold, especially as we had to have vents open to avoid the cab windows fogging up.

For that matter, even in 1966, very few cars actually had heaters, although they were becoming more common. The next day I went looking for a heater, and by dark that day my 2a had a round heater. The Series 2 I had traded on it did have a heater - but being ex-SMHEA, it had had one from new.

I've just stumbled on this thread because I was in the desert! Wow. Thanks. I hope you write a book!

Being from Orange, it can get bitterly cold here. I doubt there is anything around here without a heater these days, even my IIa has one!

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Being from Orange, it can get bitterly cold here. I doubt there is anything around here without a heater these days, even my IIa has one!

So has my current 2a!

We worked for roughly six weeks, and then took a two week break. The company would pay for fares to and from either Brisbane or Adelaide. On two occasions, we had enough wanting to go to the one place (Adelaide or Brisbane) for the company to charter a DC-3 to take them on break and return direct from the Desert, using a large claypan (called Observatory Claypan, as it had previously had a temporary weather observatory there) near Dakota Bore, in the SW corner of our area, not too far from Mt Dare. These flights were one to Brisbane and one to Adelaide.

I travelled on the one to Brisbane, which was the first. The DC-3 found the claypan, apparently without difficulty, and we burnt a tyre to indicate the wind. The surface had a salt glaze, and the captain did a trial approach and just touched the surface, because he thought it might be wet, but was satisfied and did a circuit and landed.

DC3_Observatory_claypan_1965_00243.JPG
I think this was the Brisbane flight, but I am not sure. We took off without incident, and landed at Birdsville to refuel. Everyone except the copilot walked over to the pub, conveniently located adjoining the parking bay at the airstrip, leaving the copilot and fuel agent to refuel from drums using a hand pump. The rest of the trip was incident free.

This could not be said of the trip to Adelaide. Unfortunately I was not on it, having decided to spend that field break looking round central Australia. But I got a detailed description of it from the Observer, who was a close friend of mine, and was on it, having moved his family to Adelaide.

When they left the claypan the weather was deteriorating, and they headed out into a sky thickening with dust, for a refuelling stop at Oodnadatta. After what seemed to be an excessive time for the first leg, my friend was getting a bit concerned, especially as nothing except red dust could be seen out the windows. There were no announcements from the Captain, but the seat belt sign was on, as the strong wind made it bumpy.

Then the plane could be felt maneuvering, and sandhills appeared below, very close, and the landing gear could be heard extending. Moments later, a bitumen runway appeared and the main gear touched the bitumen, and the plane rapidly slowed, turned into a parking bay, and shut down the engines. The Captain asked everyone to remain seated, and a few minutes later walked down the aisle and opened the passenger door, as a Landrover load of soldiers arrived.

The Captain had a conference with them for about ten minutes or so, and then he came back in and addressed the passengers. They had made an emergency landing because of the weather, and would be spending the night there. You can take your luggage with you. No photos, and don't wander. Ten minutes later, a khaki bus arrived and took them to the accommodation, where they were fed and provided with accommodation for the night.

The had landed at "Mirrikata" a then secret base in a prohibited area. It was the base from which the Atomic tests were carried out, and at this time was being used for the Blue Steel rocket tests. It did not appear on any maps.

The next morning, a new crew flew up in a light twin from Adelaide, and they got away about ten, having been refuelled by the army. According to the gossip, the Captain retired the next day.

Their return trip from Adelaide was uneventful.

John mentioned the Leyland Brothers. Their book is a good read . East to West across Australia ending up at Shark Bay. The troubles they had getting those two old Land Rovers across the Simpson would be beyond me. No tracks then and could possibly be called foolhardy but we all did foolhardy things when we were young. Sometimes we won , others not.
I took a pick of a page of their book showing the Landies and the trailer full of supplies and a motor bike they took as well.

20230323_173241 leyland bros 02 by Keith Cree, on Flickr

As I think I mentioned above, and I told them at Old Andado, their biggest issue was that they were grossly overloaded. And I am not to sure they knew to let their tyres down.

I came through a year or so after them but I think they mentioned in the book they were using aircraft tyres on widened rims so they would have a bit of bag. Looks a bit like that in the photo. I cant check as I lent the book to a "mate" a year or so back and it has not been returned yet. Reminds me to chase it up. Mal autographed the flyleaf for me years ago.
Keith