Their Dogs Drank First: The Last Journey to Bulong

Missing Aboriginal Couple

Near Christmas, two natives called Long Johnny and Thin Judy (tribal names not known) left Hasson’s, Mt. Hale station, for the purpose of attending a corroboree at Bulong on the Belele country, but never reached there. Later, a report was received by the police that murder was suspected. Inquiries were made by the Meekatharra police, and the conclusion arrived at was that the couple had perished from thirst and could not be found.

A few weeks ago, the body of Long Johnny was found by a native in the employ of Mr Glasson, and from an examination of the head and chest, it appeared that Johnny could have been shot. The native woman could not be traced. On the report reaching the police, Sergeant McDonald and Constable Wreford went out and made inquiries into the matter. The body of the woman was found by the police, and both bodies were brought into Meekatharra, and a post mortem was conducted by Dr Cass, who reported that there was no trace whatever of foul play. Mr Craig, R.M of Cue (the District Coroner) was in Meekatharra on Wednesday, and after perusal of all the papers dispensed with an inquest and ordered the bodies to be buried.

At the time the couple had left Mt. Hale, the weather was excessively hot, and they had no less than 18 pups with them — some they had to carry- and also about 20 full-grown dogs. They had a long, dry stretch to negotiate, and apparently it was too much for them. Evidently, they did, as lots of other natives do, treat their dogs better than themselves, and in giving such a number of dogs their supply of water, they perished from thirst. They were both about 60 years of age.