Andrew had read Darrell's manuscript for A Wild History, in 2010 and along with many others, received acknowledgement in that book. Andrew also contributed some possible Kimberley Leichhardt relics he had found, as references from newspaper research, after learning of Darrell's work on the searches for Leichhardt at the National Museum of Australia. A chance then arose for Andrew to read the manuscript for this new book on Leichhardt, during Darrell's last visit to Kununurra, early in 2012.

It is fascinating to think that Leichhardt may well have made it all the way to the Kimberley!

The May 16th book launch will be held at the National Museum of Australia.

Read more about, Where is Dr. Leichhardt? - The Greatest Mystery in Australian History, from...

http://www.publishing.monash.edu/books/wdl-9781921867767.html

You can pre-order the book from the following link. http://ecommerce.lib.monash.edu.au/product.asp?pID=141&cID=92

OR both books are (or will be) available from the Kununurra Museum (KHS) + postage. Just email a request for a quote and direct deposit payment details from the Contact KHS page.

Also see the Kununurra Museum - Events Page for two weekend Open Days during the Ord Valley Muster (both Saturdays - 18th & 25th of May), when these books will be on sale.

Read more about A Wild History - Life and Death on the Victoria River Frontier, which was published in 2012, from http://publishing.monash.edu/books/awh.html

Why is this engine significant?

Where is the engine now and where will it go (and how)?

At present the engine is at the old KRS site in view of the Ord River - You can see photographs of it as it is now on the KHS Carlton Reach Pump Engine page.

KHS has plans to display this original Carlton Reach pump engine by the entrance gate of the Kununurra Museum before July 20th 2013 commemorations of 50 years, since the Official opening ceremony of the Ord River Diversion Dam and Ord Stage I by Sir Robert Menzies.

What's That Thing? - ABC Kimberley - Web Page and Radio Interview [March 2013]

  Before the engine was officially donated to KHS, Vanessa Mills of ABC Broome did a radio segment, "What's That Thing?", featuring KHS research on the Carlton Reach Pump Engine - See the web page - ABC Kimberley Radio Interview in March 2013 - About the "Petters Atomic Diesel Engine and listen to the audio from there.
[See http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2013/03/18/3718139.htm?site=kimberley]

1943 (Dry Season) - 70 Years ago at Carlton Reach (Ord River Experimental Station)

 During the dry season of 1943 Kim and Bill Durack continued their work on the "Ord River Experimental Station," which had been set up late in 1941 at Carlton Reach using the waters of the Ord. More information is available about the 36 HP Petters "Atomic" diesel pump engine, used to raise the water for these first major experimental attempts at irrigation, at the twenty acre farm site. available from the Carlton Reach Pump Engine (on this site).

The 1963 Royal Tour Open Day at Kununurra Museum

  There will be an Open Day at the Kununurra Museum on Sunday March 17th 2013

On that date in 1963, Kununurra was a stop for the Royal Tour, when, HRH Queen Elizabeth II addressed crowds and opened the Australian Inland Mission (AIM) Hospital in Kununurra. In 2013 it will be 50 years since March 17th 1963, the day the Royal Tour landed, reputedly, the first (and only?) time, that the Queen has landed on an unsealed,(gravel - "dirt strip") runway. Do any royal watchers know if this is true? If so please contact us. A countdown to this 50th anniversary has been added to the sidebar on the right.

Some newly digitised images are available online, of a control tower, which was erected for the 1963 Royal Tour, then dismantled. It was made of scaffolding, but no doubt equipped with the latest technology available in 1963. These photographs and others in the collections also show two RAAF fire tenders, which were reputed to have been flown to Kununurra on RAAF transport aircraft, then flown away.

It would be great to see if there are any photographs of the Royal Yacht, Brittania, alongside the Wyndham jetty, or any others you may have of the Royal Tour to the Kimberley in 1963. Please contact us if you do and tell us your story on this or any other Kimberley history. 

View an embedded SlideShow of the Royal Tour in Kununurra, from various KHS archive collections, here while on this page, use the right hand cornered gadget to go full screen. You can also show information about each image from top of screen links.

OR View the Royal Tour 1963 photographic "Set" on Flickr, (Link goes to the set on Flickr in a new tab).

(Also see - The KHS Events Page)

Object and Art Storage DV

Groups involved with art work and any other collection object or artefact storage should be interested to see the following featured video, on collection storage techniques used by the Koori Heritage Trust Collection Store. Our friends at the WA Police Historical Society, the NT Police Museum & Historical Society, and others, will also be interested to see the DV, showing some of the Victorian Police Museum's collection storage.

KHS has been a member of the "ArchivesLive" (Australian Society of Archivists) web group for the past year. They recently sent an email with a link to an interesting video, which is a great resource for showing a high standard of collection storage. Worth viewing for anyone, as an education on collection storage and preservation to aim for.

The video is in two sections; The first part focusing "On-Site at the Koori Heritage Trust Collection Store" and the other, "On-Site at the Victorian Police Museum Collection Store." The video was produced by Museums Australia, Victoria. (KHS is also a member of Museums Australia WA) - KHS President 30 VII 2012.

The video has been embedded on our Collection Preservation Tips page, for an informative behind the scenes look, at contemporary Museum collection, preservation and storage.

Book launch/Meet the Author of The El Questro Story - Meg Hornabrook

On Friday 27th July 2012 - 4 pm at the Kununurra Museum - 72 Coolibah Dve, Kununurra. (For a map see our contact page) - Come & meet the author over a cup of tea. All welcome.

The book launch went well with a good attendance, with food and refreshments the evening was enjoyed by all.

KHS research, correspondence and contact with Meg Hornabrook in the past years has been acknowledgement in the book.

Books are now available from the Kununurra Museum at $35
(or contact us to order + Postage)