Across the Empty West — A Young Man’s Camel Trek to Coolgardie

ALFRED HEATH TOOK CAMELS
TO COOLGARDIE IN 1894 – AGED 20

Alfred Heath took an important part in the pioneering of WA gold mining. He was educated at Hahndorf SA and Prince Alfred College, and then joined the SA Survey Dept. At 20 years of age he was assigned, through Elder, Smith & Co., to take the first camels to the new gold rush at Coolgardie for Sultan Ras Mahommed. He left Marree in March 1894, with an offsider, Tom Kell, six Afghans, and a string of 47 camels, with 11 calves at foot. The caravan made for the coast, via Mount Eba. On reaching Port Brown, at Fowler’s Bay, they turned west and went through Eucla, Eyre, Israelite Bay to Esperance, thence north through Dundas to Coolgardie.

An Epic Trek

This was some undertaking for a 20-year-old leader and his comrades. When, as against modern motor and air transport, camel, horse and boot leather were the agents, and the track was unknown, often through miles of sandhills, with sparse feed, and the next water supply uncertain. Alfred Heath and Tom Kell would ride ahead to locate the water, and, if successful, return to guide the caravan to it. At one spot. Twilight Cove, the only water ahead was 140 miles away, noted on an old Admiralty map as being on a shallow depth on a beach visited in the early days by a ship needing water.

Eight to 15 miles a day is fair going for a string of laden camels, with calves at foot, and some heavy in calf with little feed and water. Forced Marches – after the first day, the camels became restive, no doubt, sensing the drought ahead. The Afghans showed signs of mutiny, and Alfred and Tom had to take watches at night with revolvers ready to prevent a retreat. The caravan carried on and reached the beach on the fifth day by forced marches.
Fortunately, the water was located by digging, and the expedition was saved. They arrived at Esperance on July 9 and turned north to Dundas, at times cutting a track through thick scrub. Coolgardie was reached on July 24 and with 70 camels, 12 more than they had started with four months previously. The caravan was handed over to Mahommed, who had come round to Fremantle by ship.

Since then Alfred Heath has prospected and mined in WA, Victoria and Tasmania, has farmed on Flinders Island (Bass Straight) and finally in WA. He returned to prospecting just before the war with his two elder sons. After the four boys were demobilised, he became joint owner of the Barton mine with them. He and Mrs Heath have retired to Mandurah, some 30 miles south of Fremantle.

by VOX from Adelaide Advertiser.