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the Musgrave Ranges. Pearce usually travelled alone and overlanded in preference to travelling known routes
or following the overland telegraph line and thus he ventured hoping to reach the Katherine River some 1980
kilometres distant.
Upon arrival at the Katherine, he headed toward the Victoria River Downs country of which he had heard from
drovers he had met in his travels. When about 149 kilometres from the Katherine he came across a ‘rounded hill’
(now called Augusta Crown) and climbed to the top for a better view. He was so impressed with the well-watered
grassy country that he bought a pastoral lease of 100 square miles (260 square kilometres) in 1897, the beginning
of his own cattle and horse station, known as Willeroo.
Returning to Katherine the manager of Philip R Allen and Company of Darwin (general storekeepers), who had
recently taken ownership of the Sportsman’s Arms Hotel, persuaded Pearce to take over the management of the
hotel from his predecessor Bernard Murphy. Pearce held the publican’s licence for 13 years until 1907 during
which time he became involved in many other activities. He had bullock teams on the road carting much needed
supplies to outlying stations. He was secretary and treasurer for the Katherine River Turf Club, which ran two race
meetings a year. It is perhaps not surprising that he held this position considering his great interest in, and respect
for horses. It was a tradition that all bets after the meet were settled in the pub. Pearce was a Justice of the Peace
and regularly corresponded with the Northern Territory Times and Gazette, usually about matters of local interest.
In June 1905, in the Adelaide Advertiser, Pearce responded to the Postmaster-General’s view that an inland mail
service for the pastoral districts of the Northern Territory was not required. Pearce obviously felt differently.
Pearce met with Jeannie Gunn, the author of We of the Never Never early in 1902. Aeneas Gunn brought
his new wife Jeannie to Katherine on their way to Elsey Station. It was the wet season and the river was in
flood. Already having crossed the flooded Fergusson and Edith rivers, Jeannie, a native of Melbourne, might have
been almost glad to see Pearce, a ‘burly 6 foot bushman... with a flashing smile’, row a small boat across the
swift-flowing river from the opposite bank to meet them. Pearce made his own quarters, a modest three-roomed
cottage surrounded by deep verandahs, available to the visitors. As it appeared there would be a woman guest at
the pub for some days owing to the weather, Pearce issued an edict limiting the number of daily drinks per man.
Considering the main purpose of stockmen and drovers patronising the pub was not merely for socialising, the
edict was a brave thing for Pearce to suggest. However, most bushmen of this time held a high regard for women
who braved the outback and the edict was adhered to (or the bushmen avoided the area!).
As the Gunns left Katherine, Pearce generously presented Jeannie with a few items to make her stay at the
Elsey more ‘civilised’. These included some potatoes, a rare commodity in this part of the country, a couple of
china cups and a flat iron. When Aeneas Gunn went to settle the account at the end of their stay at the hotel, Pearce
would not accept payment for Jeannie’s board and lodging and thus he was dubbed ‘Mine Host’ in her book.
On 27 April 1903, Pearce married Mary Jennings at Christ Church, Palmerston. The next day they travelled
by train to the terminus at Pine Creek where they were met and congratulated by leading residents of the district.
The Northern Territory Times reported their arrival as ‘heralded by a regular fanfare on the two whistles of
the loco’.
Pearce and his wife left Katherine to live at Willeroo about 1907. He had begun restocking the station by the
turn of the century with cattle from the Bohemia Downs Station in the Borroloola district and by 1905 Willeroo was
declared restocked with 1500 head of cattle and 420 horses. A new homestead was built comprising a six-roomed
house, kitchen and pantry. Improvements on the station included two large paddocks, three wire stockyards, a
new branding yard and a dam built across the homestead creek. It was at Willeroo that Pearce put into practice his
theories on horse and cattle breeding.
In 1904, Pearce imported two purebred Arab stallions and a Suffolk Punch stallion in an effort to produce a
saddle horse better suited to the Territory country. This was a revolutionary move in those times, particularly as
he paid 200 guineas for one horse. The old hands of the Territory certainly thought him a little deranged but in
the Northern Territory Times in March 1906, he reported on the success of breeding new Arab and Suffolk Punch
foals. Within twelve months the herd had increased by a hundred, fifty of which were the progeny of the Arab or
Suffolk Punch stallions. In all, Pearce imported twenty stallions at different times over a twelve-year period.
He followed a similar practice with cattle breeding. No new blood had been introduced to Territory cattle since
Buchanan brought in a mob of 20 000 in the early 1880s. Small numbers had arrived at Darwin but all had died of
Redwater Fever or cattle tick before they reached the inland country. Pearce began by importing fourteen bulls and
fourteen heifers from Lammermore Station in Queensland. Each was vaccinated twice with blood from a bullock
originating from tick-infested country at the coast before transportation to Willeroo. Pearce was very proud to state
that although the cattle often picked up ticks, not one beast had died up until the time he sold the station.
Aborigines with a number of murders accredited to them at this time were inhabitants of the area where
Willeroo was located. In keeping with his character, Pearce approached the situation with trust and patience in his
quest for harmonious coexistence. Pearce came to regard the young Aboriginal boys and girls in his care at the
station as ‘useful and trustworthy’. A few of the boys continued in stock work and were among some of the best
stockmen in the Northern Territory.
Gold was first discovered at Tanami near the border with Western Australia in August 1900, but it was not until
June 1909 that a government geologist was sent and produced a favourable report upon the prospects of payable
gold in the area. The Government Resident, Judge Herbert, felt Pearce ‘would do anything for the advancement
of the Territory’ and approached him to establish a track from Pine Creek to the Tanami field, including sinking
wells along the way. In the latter half of 1909, Pearce left Pine Creek with six well sinkers, a cook, a camel drover,
three Aboriginal boys and a large plant of horses. Pearce’s outward journey went via Mucka, 83 kilometres south
of Wave Hill Station. By going direct to Wave Hill on the return journey, the trip was shortened by 41 kilometres.