Saturday Dec 27th 1930:
Had to go out to ‘Bull Ring’ this morning as cricket bat and ball had been left there yesterday. Had a cricket match this afternoon when the ‘locals’ played ‘all comers’. Weather has cooled off. Beautiful cold nights.
Friday Dec 28th 1930:
Had S.S this morning, a quiet afternoon at home and service at night. A fair number out, although not as many as could attend.
Monday Dec 29th 1930:
Weather still nice and cool but looks as if it will not last too long. Had a good clean up of the ranch. Did some writing and had cricket practice. Went for a swim.
Tuesday Dec 30th 1930:
Weather starting to warm up again. Temperature round about 100on again. Reading, writing and swimming and mended 3 tyres and tubes.
Wednesday Dec 31st 1930:
Spent the morning in washing and polishing the car and she now looks as good as new. Went out to Rocklands to fix up some papers for a chap. Went down to a camp and Christened an
‘Austral-China’ baby. A dance in the hall aqt night to which all expect myself so went. Spent
the last of the old year reading the last of the ‘Spectators’ received. Capt Matthews arrived today on his way to Darwin, there to sart his attempt on the breaking of Kingsford-Smith’s record. He stayed the night. A few ‘extras’ in town but all very quiet. A few tin banging around midnight.
1931
Thursday Jan 1st 1931:
A hot day ushers in the New Year. A fair number in town. A days’ racing held here in aid of local hospital. For myself slept most of the afternoon in a Turkish bath. Another big dance at night. But did not patronize it. Weather is getting too hot for anything now.
Friday Jan 2nd 1931:
Another hot day. Coolest spot in the town is under Reilly’s cottage which is up on high blocks and there it was 106o. Did some reading and writing and at night went to a show given by a traveling company and it was awful.
Saturday Jan 3rd 1931:
Still the heat continues and no sign of rain. Went shooting this afternoon but only got 5 ducks. Visited the hospital patients this evening.
Sunday Jan 4th 1931:
No change in the weather and the river the only place can get cool, although even here the surface water is hot and no good until stirred up. Had S.S this morning. A quiet afternoon at home. Service at night. Not many out.
Monday Jan 5th 1931:
Returns. Heat still prevails. Spent the greater part of the day writing and making up last months returns. Too hot for anything else. Took a sick chap up to the hospital.
Tuesday Jan 6th 1931:
Another day of writing and when the mail came in reading. Papers mostly as got no letters worth mentioning. Weather continuing very hot. Up to 116o in some places in the shade.
Wednesday Jan 7th 1931:
Finished up a bundle of correspondence today and posted 14 letters. Not a bad effort for me. Got ready for plane trip west to Anthony’s Lagoon in the morning. Am not looking forward with pleasing anticipation to the trip. A full plane tomorrow so mechanic has to stay behind. Have the offer of going on to Bairdum (?) and back to Anthony’s Lagoon if I like to take it.
Thursday Jan 8th 1931:
Up at 5 am and left by plane at 6.30 am. Rather windy weather although trip was not very bumpy. Came down at Alexandria and Brunette and while doing so all that was inside me nearly came up. Just before coming don at Anthony’s though everything did come up much to the discomforture of the other gentleman passenger and the two ladies, the ladies who by the way are daughters of wealthy Americans. Was full up of flying by this so did not go on. Took until lunchtime to recover and then spent the afternoon in working on the car I was to take back to Camooweal.. Had a wind and rain storm about 5 pm. An airforce plane arrived with pilot and mechanics on board before dark and stayed the night. A cool night with rain threatening.
Friday Jan 9th 1931:
Sky thickly overcast this morning and every indication of heavy rain. Had a light storm at breakfast time but weather fine again by lunch. Air force plane got off just before lunch and mail plane arrived back just afterwards. Finished getting the car ready for the road. Went over to the store and police station. Loaded up after lunch and at 3 pm left for Brunette. A lot of water on the road going through the desert but unfortunately the downs were quite dry. Stopped and had a yarn with a chap camped on the road whose lanmguage was well embellished with numerous adjectives. Car went fairly well a nd eventually I reached Brunette just as they were finishing tea. Had a wash and then ate up the fragments that remained. Spent the evening yarning with Mr Nelson and retired at 10 pm. A hot night with a little rain at one period.
Saturday Jan 10th 1931:
A nother dull morning but no rain. Got the bus ready to proceed. Had to make a wide detour on leaving Brunette to cross the creek going bush. Terribly rough and 8 miles of it . Mr Nelson went first in his car and led me out. Struck some heavy going about halfway but managed to keep going. Passed several travelers with their ‘packs’ going west. Reached Alexandria at 11 am and learned that no possibility of going o as at the Buchanan, 12 miles along, 3 inches of rain had fallen. Spent afternoon and evening reading, sleeping and talking.
Sunday Jan 11th 1931:
Decided to go on and see what was ahead. Another car load came out with us. Could find no crossing over a bad swampy creek just before reaching the Buchanan River. A car from Rankine had come to the other side and had to pull up. Folk from Rankine over and we all went back to Alexandria. Came down in the afternoon and I decided to attempt a crossing. Had a car each side so thought I could be pulled out if could not cross myself. Went back a long way and raced at the water and mud in second gear. Would have got through easily only the water splashed up into the distributor and stopped the engine. Pace ai was going it carried me nearly through but not quite. Car on the other side could not pull me out so had to go and cart ……and blocks and ant bed and make a dry road out. Five of us worked all the afternoon until sundown, in the mud when out the car came. Crossed the Buchanan safely where as much as as possible of the mud was washed off and then our two cars had a good run of 30 miles to Rankine reaching there at 9 pm. Had a bath, some tea and then bed.
Monday June 12th 1931:
Up at sunrise but it took me 2 hours to get the old bus started. Have blisters from turning the crank-handle. Got her going at last and left Rankine at 9 am by this time well loaded with mail and parcels from all along the road. Did thte 50 miles to Avon in good time from where I rang Camooweal and let them know I was still in the land of the living. Had lunch here and on to Camooweal, the last 50 miles, reaching here at 3.30 pm. Delivered mail and parcels, letters and car and then had a good bath and clean up. Retired early and slept well.
Tuesday Jan 13 th 1931:
Got the mail this morning and spent all day in reading letters and papers.
Wednesday Jan 14th 1931:
Airmail in today also several station cars, being as it is council meeting day and hospital meeting. Was elected myself as one of the hospityal committee through a vacancy occurring by a committee man leaving the district. Paid a visit to the hospital and looked up ll the patients. Did some reading.
Thursday Jan 15th 1931:
Another hot day ending in the afternoon in a light shower, but which looked as if we were going to get inches. Heavy rain seems to have fallen in different places round about. Did some reading and writing during the day. Ice cream was very popular although prices very high.
Friday Jan 16th to 23rd 1931:
One whole week. In Camooweal all the time. Weather continuing very hot but still no rain. Epidemic of whooping cough seems to be gaining ground. Only six at S.S on Sunday morning and no service at night. A dance was organized during the week and oly a handful attended, not sufficient to pay the rental of the hall so something is wrong in the town. Went around and called on all the folk and there is more or less a very uneasy feeling all round. The families in which there is whooping cough are remaining at home because they have it and those who have not got it are remaining at home in order to avoid getting it. Visited the patients at the hospital a couple of times, only 3 on the sick list, two being little girls with the prevalent ailment, rather ill too. Have the car in the shed at present doing a couple of jobs on it while there is no chance of traveling. Have also been doing a fair amount of reading and a little study. A heavy fall of rain a good few miles out brought the river down and it is now higher than it has been since I came out here. For 24 hours all means of traveling west by car was impossible as both crossings were a swim. (?) There are now a couple of very good places handy to the town for swimming which is freely indulged in.
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