Beating About The Bush - Len Beadell

Hi Stephen,
That's a brilliant find! It would add so much more meaning to the trip!

Please keep their location to yourself, far too many unscrupulous travellers have souvenired Len's original plaque's and other momento's. They are better off were they are than rusting in some suburban backyard then a trip to the local tip.

I agree wholeheartedly the book by Mark Shephrd gives an entirely different perspective into the life and works of Len Beadell.

Geoff

Hi Geoff
I could not believe what I had found. When I got back home, I contacted the Giles Weather Station to see if they would be interested in them. They said that they had lots, and were not interested. There must be many more such sites out there, just waiting to be stumbled upon.

Cheers

Stephen

Hi Willem,
Yes I agree; and I thought about that when I wrote the thread. But I wasn't sure how to put my thought in such a way, so that someone wouldn't jump on me..... (: . Unfortunately a lot of things have happened in this nation that shouldn't have, including the dumping of drums and other material along roads etc. (still happens today, mostly by city people too lazy to go to the tip, or refuse to pay the fees).

See... now you have got me going Willem......

All I wanted to do was bring to mind the character and ability that some people have to be great in an ordinary world. It was Len Beadell's attitude toward his job that made him great.

Can't agree with you Willem.
I don't "need a hero" but I do recognize an outstanding person when I see one. Len Beadell was much more than "just a surveyor" and certainly not "like many other people". He did not just "do a task and that was it". He performed his work with skill and enthusiasm well beyond that of many under extreme conditions and with incredible perseverance of many years. The men that worked with him deserve equal recognition.
He had both surveying ability and bush survival skills well beyond most Australians of the time and whilst a colourful figure he was in reality quite humble. He was a personality of considerable attraction to people of all ages and status. His writing and sketching skills were performed to chronicle the places, events and people, both black and white that he encountered and not to elevate himself to "cult" status.

How can I be so sure of this? Well you see I knew him personally. I worked at Woomera in the period that Lennie was forging the road network for the Range and was in his presence on a number of occasions when he was at the Woomera Village. I will be forever grateful that I experienced direct contact with someone so unique.

As for the "discarded drums and equipment", this was unfortunately the standard of our society of the time and not a characteristic of the individual or his contemporaries. You might equally criticize the carving on the Dig Tree!

Yair, Cheers too.
Allan

Allan

Ho Hum...its my opinion. I fail to see the uniqueness.

People get so worked up and excited about something which was just an ordinary job in a remote locality. The fact that LB stuck plaques everywhere and wrote books about it elevated him to the dizzy heights of folklore. That's good for people who need heroes, as I have mentioned before.

Lets agree to disagree.

Leaving a mark on a tree somewhere was a matter of survival for some. I agree however that the 1950's attitudes towards discarding used containers and other items in dumps was wrong. I am not blaming LB but just the fact that the government was able to truck the stuff in so why not truck the used items back out?






Yair.......


Cheers

I find I have to agree somewhat with Willem on this. I have just finished 'Outback Highways' which is a compilation of his other books. Maybe because this book was just a compilation I may not have grabbed the whole feel of what he did and went through but I did think that with motorised transport and resupply his work and risk (overall) was not in the same league as some of the discoverers that passed before him.

Dont get me wrong, I did quite like the read and will no doubt read his others and also have a new urgency to travel some of these roads but after comparing it to the books of Tom Cole and others I wasnt struck in awe.

Could I do it - no. Could have others - to varying degrees yes.

Well I will go with Allan B. I have read 3 of his books so far and he went well beyond the call of duty and put a passion to his work as did his crew. How many that have commented above have worked in those conditions in that context?
Willem - You may have driven these roads but to work in those places is unique in the context of the times. Having worked on Remote already made roads myself in extreme conditions I see the value of this person and His crew and I applaud their dedication.

Using Williems formula there is no unique people, if you Analise your comment Willem, most great explorers were just doing a job. Captain Cook as well!

Give credit when credit is due. Len was one of the many that left rubbish in remote areas.

Cheers Tony.

Tony

You read too much into what I post.

There is no formula. It is just a social opinion on the 'Wow' factor and the need by others to have a 'Hero'. Thats all, nothing more nothing less.

And please don't assume on what I might have done, or not done, in life.

Cheers

To all travellers
When you travel the Beadel tracks you are travelling on history, I was lucky to have been able to be the first person to grade the Anne Beadel and Connie Sue Hwys since they were first built, I take my hat of to these people, to do what they had done and live and do it as well but me doing it in great comfort and modern machine you get to realise what they had to endure, Gentelman and ladies I take my hat off to a great person