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stock routes. Some of his longest journeys were from Borroloola across the Barkly Tablelands to Camooweal,
then in an eastern arc around the Simpson Desert to Birdsville in southwest Queensland.
He grew to be a tall, strongly built man, able to walk long distances as a result of his years with the camel teams,
as well as to ride either camels or horses well, and to put his hand to almost any bush work. At one stage, following
an argument about feats of strength at the Stuart Arms Hotel in the Alice, Arthur disappeared for a moment into
Wallis Fogarty’s store. His mates were still arguing over whom was the strongest when he emerged with a bag of
flour under each arm and one gripped in his teeth. Each bag weighed about 23 kilograms. Arthur carried them a
good half kilometre, including across the sandy bed of the Todd River, to Charlie Sadadeen’s block. It stopped the
argument!
During the course of his travels to Hatches Creek with the loading he met an Alyawarra woman, Topsy,
who was to become his wife. She was related to the late Milton Liddle, son of Billy Liddle, through marriage,
and the families were to become close friends. A sad aspect for Arthur and Topsy was that they were never to have
children.
In the late 1930s and during the Second World War he worked for Bill Walsh and the Liddle Brothers, Milton
and Harold, at the Hit-or-Miss wolfram show. It was hard work, but Arthur was always able to see humour in any
situation, and he became a favourite ‘uncle’ to the Liddle children.
During the late 1940s and the 1950s he spent considerable time working in the Hatches Creek, Murray Downs
and Elkedra country. At one stage he and his mates were dismantling the windmill at Desert Bore, near Murray
Downs, and doing other associated bush work. For some unknown reason the rations did not arrive, so the group
of four continued their work, living off bush tucker. One of his fellow workers, Clarrie Smith, brother to Walter,
recalled that Arthur’s sense of humour and tall tales kept them laughing and happy throughout.
When his wife Topsy died in 1957, Arthur’s extensive network of friends, ranging from Oodnadatta to Newcastle
Waters, provided him with support. The Liddle home and wood yard in Alice Springs became a second home for
him, but he was a welcome visitor over a wide area.
During the 1970s he could often be seen outside the Stuart Arms in Alice Springs, still a big, strong man despite
being slightly stooped over a walking stick. The stick was a gnarled branch, the handle polished from use, and was
more a friend than a support. He invariably wore a handkerchief, knotted at the four corners, as head protection in
the sun, and obliged many a tourist by allowing them to take photographs, and spinning them yarns.
In his old age he entered the Hettie Perkins Home in Alice Springs, where he appreciated the care that he was
given, and a yarn in the sunlight with his old mates.
When he died in May 1991, the Territory lost one of its most colourful, genuine, characters.
Interviews with A Ballingall, B Liddle, G Hartley, T Pick, C Smith, W Smith.
R G KIMBER, Vol 2.BARCLAY, HENRY VERE (1845–1917), surveyor, explorer and civil engineer, was born on 5 January 1845 at
Bury, Lancashire, England, son of Henry Bruce Barclay, captain in the 56th Regiment and his wife Charlotte Mannix,
nee Cummins. His father died in England in 1890 and his mother died in 1900 in Cornwall. Little is known of his
education but in his late teens he received training at the Royal Naval College after becoming a cadet in 1861.
In June 1863 he was commissioned into the Royal Marines Light Infantry as a second lieutenant and served
at Plymouth Headquarters until January 1866. He then commenced service aboard HMS Topaze. Topaze sailed
from Plymouth in the same month and undertook an extensive voyage to South America where she was based
out of Valparaiso, Chile. Barclay was promoted to Lieutenant in January 1867 while on the voyage. In the same
year Topaze visited the Marquesas Islands, the Society Islands and in the following year she visited Easter Island.
The latter, with its colossal statues, left an impression on the young Lieutenant. In 1869 Topaze visited Ascension
Island and returned to Plymouth in August.
On his return to England, Barclay was appointed to Plymouth Headquarters and in November he married
Alice Mary Edens Jee. In September 1871 Barclay was found to be suffering from ophthalmia and ‘organic disease
of the heart’ and in October was placed on the retired list. Barclay then made his first visit to Australia where he
lived at Coombe in Tasmania, carried out a private trigonometrical survey and used his engineering training on
bridge building and design work. It was during this period that three sons were born to the Barclays.
By 1876 Barclay was back in England furthering his studies in engineering and in August he applied to the South
Australian government for an appointment. In January 1877 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical
Society and also an Associate of the Institute of Civil Engineers. Barclay returned to Australia where he was
employed by the Surveyor General’s Office in Adelaide to carry out a survey from Alice Springs to the Queensland
border in the vicinity of the Herbert River.
The party, with Charles Winnecke as second-in-command, departed Adelaide in July 1877 and arrived at
Alice Springs Telegraph Station in November. In January 1878 Barclay split the party and, while Winnecke carried
out triangulation of the area in and around the telegraph station, Barclay set off on the survey to the Queensland
border. He first attempted to reach the Herbert River via Mueller Creek but was forced back by lack of water,
especially for his horses. During this attempt Barclay fell heavily with his horse and was injured when the butt of
his rifle was driven into his side. He next took his party in a more easterly direction. On 20 April they reached a
river where, by digging, they found a good supply of water. This Barclay named the Plenty.
In mid-May Barclay sent two of his men off to the northeast with instructions to find water. They returned a
week later after being defeated by continuing spinifex and sand. They had almost reached the Queensland border.
On 22 May Barclay, with one of his men, set off to the north to find a route. On the same day he discovered and