Harry Butler's Land Rover

Submitted: Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 19:50
ThreadID: 138182 Views:8515 Replies:11 FollowUps:17
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Check this out. Mate of mine has just aquired HB's old Land Rover....

















If you have no idea who Harry Butler is read this....Bigger than Ben Hur.

Harry Butler Bio

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Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Reply By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:21

Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:21
.
Bit of Repo and she'll be like new.
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Allan

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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:27

Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:27
It will need more than a bit Allan.....lol


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Stephen
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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:26

Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:26
That is great Greg and what a great find.

Is he going to keep it the way it is, or is it going to get a full make over to make it look like new.

Harry was a real favourite of ours and watched his every series when it was on air back in the late 1970’s on the ABC and purchased his books.

In fact I liked his series that much, I purchased the full TV series on DVD and since his death, they are now like hens teeth.


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Stephen
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:45

Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:45
Hi

Not sure what the plan is but he is obliged by written contract to maintain it in its current condition. Not sure how that would be policed but sure he will do his best.

Yes I have dvd set of his series...converted to digital now for safe keeping. ABC had the dvds for sale not that long ago.(3 years)..appears to be discontinued but not sure.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: RMD - Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 14:56

Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 14:56
The Explorer, Greg,
Does that mean not even a valve grind? I see a new looking brake drum in the back.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 16:05

Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 16:05
Not sure what he has planned - he has restored one before so knows what he's in for.

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Greg

I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Reply By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:34

Thursday, Apr 18, 2019 at 20:34
.
Maybe this tells Harry's story less formally.

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Allan

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Reply By: axle - Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 08:29

Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 08:29
That ol girl doesn't look any different to the last defender that come of the assembley line a few years ago......LOL!


Cheers Axle.
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Reply By: Baz - The Landy - Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 08:33

Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 08:33
Old Defenders don’t die, they just leak more oil...

Jokes aside, this is great news...!

Cheers, Baz - The Landy
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Follow Up By: Member - David M (SA) - Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 09:17

Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 09:17
Old Defenders don’t die, they just fail to proceed.
Dave.
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Follow Up By: Member - PhilD_NT - Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 11:42

Friday, Apr 19, 2019 at 11:42
Get it right, it's continuously replenishing under body rust proofing. Had a '75 Range Rover for 35 years and know all about the joy's of leather oil seals.

Anyway, wasn't he known as Hairy Battler and described Kakadu at the time as clapped out Buffalo country?
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Follow Up By: mechpete - Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 09:11

Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 09:11
just want we all want ,oil leaks
on the concrete LOL
mechpete
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Reply By: Member - DOZER - Saturday, Apr 20, 2019 at 13:56

Saturday, Apr 20, 2019 at 13:56
Now theres a blast from the past....she's in need of a new rear axle at least....loved watching his shows, loved the way he chased and grabbed dangerous animals, then said to make sure you put it back where it was found.
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Follow Up By: ian.g - Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 11:16

Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 11:16
Don't know about a new rear axle, but that axe needs a new handle, looks like someone has been driving steel posts with the back of the axe and missing getting the handle. Should be pinned to a meat ant nest for doing that, there are proper tools made for driving steel posts, axes were never made for that job. my opinion anyhow.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 12:15

Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 12:15
Yep, she'll need an axle for sure, at least one will have twisted splines and be ready to screw off!

Having said that - the old Landrovers were proper 4WD's with low range grunt.

When I was in my early days of earthmoving contracting, my old Inter R190 truck broke an axle pulling my Cat D6 on the low-loader up about a 5% slope on a gravel road.
The entire rig - truck, trailer and dozer - weighed around 28 tons (this was before metrics!).

We only had a moderate distance to go up the rise to a gate in a paddock where we could unload the dozer.

We hooked up our Series 2 Landrover traytop - which had been escorting the float - to the front on the Inter, slipped her into "bog cog" - and with a fair bit of scratching and spinning, the old Landrover pulled the truck, float and dozer up the rise for about half a mile, and then pulled the entire rig into the paddock, so we could unload!

It was quite an amazing effort, one I wish we'd taken photos of, but as with everything when you're working flat out, you don't even think about it at the time.

Maybe if we'd taken photos and sent them off to Rover, we'd have got some world fame! LOL

Cheers, Ron.
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Reply By: Ron N - Saturday, Apr 20, 2019 at 23:38

Saturday, Apr 20, 2019 at 23:38
Gee, now I'll have to find out what famous roo-shooter owned my '79 LWB Landrover diesel wagon! (she came in off the Nullarbor, and has been sitting in my workshop, up on blocks, since 1995!)

Still got the rifle racks in it, too! (imagine running around with rifle racks in your car today?!) - and the sticker stating it was sold by 808 Motors in Beaufort St!

The old 808 Motors has been gone for maybe 20 years! That decal alone must be worth a mint!

So what's Harry's old Landrover? A Series 2 or Series 2A?

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: axle - Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 09:32

Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 09:32
Geez!! Ron, What are you doing having it up on blocks,?

Get her going, and show the world just how long they lasted!.(if you spent enough time on them, LOL.)


Cheers Axle.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 09:42

Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 09:42
Axle, I'm doing just that, over time, as projects and money allow. She had a busted gearbox when I got her, I had that rebuilt, and I've recored the radiator, rebuilt the seats, and I'm still working on the motor, ready to re-install it soon.

The chassis was treated, inside and out, with Exit Rust, not long after I got her, to prevent the dreaded internal chassis corrosion.

The rest of the body is in excellent shape, but the thing stopping her from getting back on the road, is some rust in a strange spot in the boxed steel panel that runs under the steering column and dash.

There's a fair bit of work to get to that rusty section and cut it out, it means all the dash has to come out. However, as soon as the engine is done and re-installed, I'll get to that part.

You can't rush these things! - and besides, it has to fit in with the 23 other projects I've got running at the same time! LOL

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: OzzieCruiser - Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 09:50

Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 09:50
Looks like a 2A with the luxury bonnet.
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Reply By: Bazooka - Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 22:14

Sunday, Apr 21, 2019 at 22:14
Would love to see it in the National Museum or equivalent. He did make some questionable decisions after the ABC stint, nevertheless he was an icon imo.
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Reply By: Member - Redtail - Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 21:05

Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 21:05
Love it!
So, what's the thinking behind that roof rack? Why did he come up with that shape?
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 20:36

Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 20:36
Yes - a bit weird considering the traditional roof rack using roof rails is absent. What I found most interesting is the two jerry cans (of petrol) hanging off the roo bar in the last picture - would have been interesting in a head on.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: Allan B (Sunshine Coast) - Friday, Apr 26, 2019 at 08:10

Friday, Apr 26, 2019 at 08:10
.
It's possible that those jerries contained water?
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Allan

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Follow Up By: OzzieCruiser - Friday, Apr 26, 2019 at 10:01

Friday, Apr 26, 2019 at 10:01
With the roof rack I think you will find that it was easier to stand in the open door frame to load and to stand on the bonnet to get at gear. If the rack is over the rear body gear is harder to get too.

The jerries would have been for fuel (but obviously could have carried water if needed) - quite common back in the 50s and 60s.
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Reply By: neil g7 - Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 21:32

Monday, Apr 22, 2019 at 21:32
So was he from Wanneroo Perth
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 10:44

Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 10:44
Assume that's where he used to live....He retired to Ludlow down near Busselton.

Cheers
Greg
I sent one final shout after him to stick to the track, to which he replied “All right,” That was the last ever seen of Gibson - E Giles 23 April 1874

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Follow Up By: Ron N - Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 17:30

Tuesday, Apr 23, 2019 at 17:30
Harry Butler lived in Wanneroo, W.A. for a considerable period, before moving to Ludlow.
The Wikipedia article says he was born in Perth - but he wasn't, he was born in a remote, unnamed railway construction camp in regional W.A.

No stranger to family tragedies, Harry's Mother died in childbirth with his younger sister - and he lost his second wife in the mid-1970's, in another family tragedy.

The Butler Bequest came about as a result of his wifes early death, and the W.A. Museum is the major beneficiary.

One of the newer Northern Perth suburbs is named Butler - but it's not named after Harry, it's named after one John Butler, the first explorer of the Wanneroo area, in 1834.

Harry did a vast amount of work on Barrow Island, working with the oil and gas industry.
In the article below, he gets a mention 40 times, plus a great photo of him with a big, fearless, goanna.

DPAW article - Barrow Island

Harry died in December 2015, and the W.A. Museum staff wrote up a short biography on him.

Vale Harry Butler - W.A. Museum

And the SMH did an obit on him, too ..

SMH - Obituary - Harry Butler

Here's another obituary from the ABC.

Conservationist Harry Butler dies - Dec 2015

The Butler Bequest -

Harry Butler Research Centre opened - 2017

Harry didn't fit the mold of the classic conservationist, he was a practical bloke who knew that development had to be accommodated, along with as much conservation, as was practical.

If he hadn't added his voice to being in favour of Barrow Island being allowed to proceed as a major gas plant site, we would possibly have no natural gas exports today.
The EPA refused to allow the Barrow Island development, yet it was finally over-ruled.

Today, Barrow Island hosts one of the worlds biggest gas plants, yet the whole island is an "A" class nature reserve, thus proving it is possible to have tightly controlled development, and conservation as well.

Cheers, Ron.
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Reply By: Member - Bigfish - Friday, Apr 26, 2019 at 06:09

Friday, Apr 26, 2019 at 06:09
Be nice to see it left as is and sitting in a major Australian museum. Might last many decades that way. Once the rebuilding of an old vehicle like this is started its character is lost forever. Not a national treasure but certainly a good part of Australian history.
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