Kununurra
Trip Start
Apr 19, 2008
1
30
42
Trip End
Nov 31, 2008
Irish Pioneers,
Western Australia,
Australia
Monday, September 29, 2008
It all became clear when we visited an old hometead near Lake Argyle, which had once housed the Durack family, from the West Of Ireland, who had fled the Famine in 1852, in search of opportunity in Australia. Initially settling in New South Wales, the patriarch, Patsy, decided they might fare better in the North West and so began their epic journey: driving 7,500 head of cattle more than 5,000 km, over 2 years and 4 months to reach Kununurra. Today, the Duracks are credited with having laid the foundation for the cattle industry in the north, but their times were hard. While they experienced early success and soon owned several stations in the region (including Lisadell), covering thousands of square miles, the realities of life in the harsh climate of the Kimberley, and the hardshuips they endured, took their toll: isolation, fierce heat, annual floods, lack of good grazing... they ended up in a struggle survival, with cattle dying and ultimately they lost their lands.
Wandering around the homestead, looking at objects from their lives and reading the information, I was struck by the strength and tenacity of these early pioneers, their absolute determination to succeed against all odds. Travelling in the Outback can be tough in the modern age - when the Kimberley was barely touched, back in the 1800s, it was truly a mighty feat, particularly when you came from a land of 'soft' weather, small distances, plentiful water and an abundance of good grass for the animals. That they adjusted and managed to thrive was a huge achievement, even though it was, sadly, not to last.
