Naming Mount Gillen - View All Stories - History Stories

Journeys

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These are the individual History stories, or you can listen to them grouped into topics as History journeys.

Early Tourism The fledgling tourism industry of the 1950s was not exactly sophisticated.	Death at Redbank Gorge Clashes between the original inhabitants of the West Macs and the new settlers were sometimes fatal.	Naming Mount Gillen After a hard day's work it's nice when someone names a landmark after you.
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Flynn's Legacy What made John Flynn so successful in his work?	Saving Lives in the Bush A first hand account from a grateful patient of the RFDS.	The Horn Expedition The Horn Scientific Expedition was the first scientific expedition to study the natural history of Central Australia.
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Early days of fishing When Jim Hayes was a boy he learned how to fish in the time-honoured Central Australian way.	A brilliant horseman with two graves An amusing story of the trials of marking a grave in the West Macs.	Tylers Pass Breakthrough The story of how the road through Tylers Pass was built.
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Pioneering Central Australian Teacher Ida Standley was the first, and for 15 years the only government-appointed teacher in Central Australia.	Strehlow at Jay Creek Nearby Standley Chasm some pioneering work was done on studying the languages and culture of the Arrarnta people.	Peg Nelson remembers Ida Standley The canny Ida Standley had a knack for getting children through their exams.
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A Long Way From Town For a child growing up near Simpsons Gap, civilisation seemed a long way away.	Early History Since the times before European settlement, Simpsons Gap has been recognised as a valuable source of permanent water.	Dust and Drought Sondra Young grew up near Simpsons Gap on a cattle station. She remembers the harsh drought of the 1950s.
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The Building of Serpentine Chalet Serpentine Gorge was built by the Ansett group with Len Tuit at the helm. As former Ansett tour operator John Spencer explains,…	The beginnings of Tourism The motor car was the key to opening up the West Macs to tourists.	Serpentine Tours Remote locations can sometimes call for some creative thinking in servicing tourists,
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Resort Style Living For its day and its location, the chalet was a luxury resort.	Plenty of Hard Yards Keeping cattle alive to maturity was just the start of the job.	The Owen Springs Family Owen Springs Station was owned by the Hayes family for the best part of a century.
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Good Cattle Country The early identification of Central Australia as good cattle country shaped the next hundred years of human activity there.…	Cattle and Drought The early days of running cattle in the West Macs taught some harsh lessons about land and water.	An early encounter with John Flynn Meeting John Flynn left a strong impression on Peg Nelson. Peg was born Margaret Bloomfield just before WW1.
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Life in the West Macs Peter Latz began his lifelong connection with the West Macs in 1941.	Tourism opens up the Country In the old days, a trip to Ormiston Gorge was no quick jaunt.	The History of Ormiston Gorge Ormiston Gorge was difficult to traverse, but was useful as a watering place for cattle.
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Glen Helen Journey Peter Latz talks about how difficult it was to travel around the West Macs when he was a child.	Naming Glen Helen Dick Kimber tells the story of how Glen Helen was discovered and named.	A millionaire's priorities Glen Helen station owner Brian Bowman was an unlikely millionaire.
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Reconcilliation Stone The original stone used to mark Flynn's Grave was controversial.	Bulldust, barrels and bell tents Doing a circuit of the West Macs sights in the old days was true adventure tourism.	Water of Life A waterhole that never goes dry is a vital resource for all forms of life.
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Fred Raggatt - tough but with a soft streak Fred Raggatt was the second owner of Glen Helen Station.	Namatjira Country Pastoralist Jim Hayes remembers Albert Namatjira.
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