Transient Routes across the Tanami

 

Note that today travel in this region is restricted.

 

 

Introduction

The line map, below left, is a typical depiction of the Tanami Desert region of the Northern Territory today. The more recent satellite imagery, below right, although enhanced with the road/track, rail and place names, between the Stuart Highway to the east and the Tanami Road/Tanami-Hooker Creek (Lajamanu)-Wave Hill (Kalkaringi) Track to the west, also shows little indication of past activity. (The line map does not show the Alice Springs to Darwin section of the Adelaide to Darwin railway which became operational in early 2004.)

 

   

Tanami Desert region of the Northern Territory as shown (left) in 1 : 5 000 000 scale map of Australia (2008) and (right) circa 2017 satellite imagery.

 

As shown in the 1945 pastoral map below, during the last century and for varying periods, however, routes across this region did exist. It would appear that lack of use combined with gradual changes in land ownership saw evidence of these routes disappear from the landscape and the various government mapping authorities determine they not be shown as the mapping was revised. Collating historical map information on these routes and integrating the data as digital files allowed an analysis and presentation of some of these routes on a single common map base. 

 

Three, green highlighted, routes across the Tanami Desert region of the Northern Territory as shown in Map of Northern Territory showing pastoral stations etc. (HEC Robinson, 1945).

 

 

The Selected Routes

In addition to the two, approximately east-west, routes and the south-east to north-west route highlighted on the 1945 Robinson map above, three routes were established by Federal agencies. The last of these routes, impressively called a road was the Wiso Road. Unlike the other routes, however, the un-named route of the Wiso road seems to still appear on the current 1 : 250 000 scale National Topographic Map Series as well as the tourist maps inspected. Recognising that others also travelled within this region in the past, these six routes, established in the 1900s, the 1940s, and the 1960s, as tabled below, were selected for this digital reinstatement.

 

Year	Route	By	Indicated by
1909	Barrow Creek to Wave Hill	Dr Charles Chewings	a series of 10 wells, one bore hole and 5 soakages or natural waterholes using mainly camel transportation
1941-42	Three Ways Junction to near Jellebra Rockholes near the Western Australia border and Muckaty Bore to Wave Hill	Wilfred Hercy Dominick (Jerry) Whitlock	the passage of a tractor towing a fire plough and light support vehicles
1964	Near Old Tennant Creek Telegraph Station to about 90 kilometres north of Tanami on the Tanami to Hooker Creek track	Norman Francis Vaughan and Carlos Pereira de Lemos, Department of the Interior	a series of 57 bench-marks and the passage of light 4x4 vehicles
1965-69	Yabbagalonga Range west of Muckaty Homestead to north of Hooker Creek	National Mapping’s Howard Angas Johnson & later field parties	a series of 18 steel posts and vanes stayed with either a stone cairn or steel supports and the passage of medium 4x4 vehicles
1965	Tennant Creek to Hooker Creek (Wiso Road)	In the main the Bureau of Mineral Resources and their contractor, as the track already existed in some places	a series of 9, approximately adjacent to the route, scout bore holes and the passage of light to heavy 4x2, 4x4 etc vehicles

 

 

Map Search for Chewings’ and/or Whitlock Information

As mentioned above, evidence of the 1965 route existed on modern mapping. The two survey routes of 1964 and 1965-69 respectively could be re-established from survey data already available. The three earliest routes would have to be found by examining extant mapping. The appearance on, and disappearance from, official (Federal or State/Territory government) mapping would give a timeframe for their existence as a continuous feature, and the most reliable depiction(s) at the largest map scale(s) of these works, would allow positional data to be extracted. The findings from the map search is at Appendix A and can be summarised as follows :

 

Aside from the map below reproduced from Chewings’ (1930), his work first seems to officially appear in 1915. Even at this early stage, however, all wells are shown with the warning (APPROX). By 1934, Chewings’ wells while still shown, have the warning (P.D.) for Position Doubtful alongside the five northernmost and the route is boldly overtyped as Now Abandoned. Later by 1941, Chewings’ work is not depicted. On the World War Two maps Chewings work reappears. The reappearance of the wells’ locations probably occurred because in a war time emergency they might be life saving and those using these maps would comprehend the risk involved with relying on the wells’ positions and thus make informed choices. Notably, the war time maps of the area have, in comparison to the earlier mapping, any likely sources of water depicted. Later, on maps available publicly in 1944 and 1953 there was no sign of Chewings’ wells. Isolated traces could still be found on the R502, 1 : 250 000 scale series, post circa 1950.

 

Whitlock’s routes officially appeared on 1944 mapping but were not shown after 1953. Again, isolated traces could still be found on the R502, 1 : 250 000 scale series, post circa 1950. As late as 1964 isolated traces of Whitlock’s southern track could still be found in the terrain.

 

The 1945 Robinson map, shown above, was followed by a Road Map in 1953, shown further on. On both publications, Robinson depicted Whitlock’s two routes as well as Chewings’ wells. The locations of Chewings’ wells were linked by a dotted line which bypassed the position named Green Swamp i.e. there is no specific Green Swamp Well shown on the Robinson maps. A comparison of Robinson’s 1953 and 1945 maps seems to indicate that most of the track information has come from the earlier map although there are some instances of track revision elsewhere. The notable fact is that Robinson showed information on a publicly available map (priced then at 3 shillings and six pence) in 1953, which official agencies had not shown for some 10 years without any warning(s) regarding its viability.

 

 

1909 - Barrow Creek to Wave Hill      

Under his agreement with the South Australian Government, Dr Charles Chewings (1859-1937) was to open up a line of waters, for a stock route, from near Central Mount Stuart to the Victoria River, so that stock bred in the Victoria River district might be taken direct to Alice Springs instead of by the roundabout route to Newcastle Waters, and then down the Overland Telegraph Line. The Government agreed to pay for any trial wells made at reasonable distances apart that would yield a fair supply of good water. At this time the Northern Territory was still the Northern Territory of South Australia. As can be read in the page 12 article below of 18 September 1909 from the Brisbane Telegraph newspaper, the line of waters was to consist of 10 wells at intervals of about 30 miles.

 

Leaving Barrow Creek on 3 April 1909, his party consisted of John Gettens, Harry Baxter and Richard Douglas. In addition at Barrow Creek he had secured two black boys, Tim and Paddy, Paddy knew the country. Mr FB Wallis, a station owner in the far north, lent Dr Chewings 20 bull camels for the expedition which were complemented by four horses and a strong buggy. Their main equipment, supplied by the South Australian Government, was a light portable boring plant, and I [Chewings] had this so made and packed that we could cry a halt, boil the billy, and start boring for water in half an hour.

 

Dr Charles Chewings’ map showing his 1909 route, well and other locations (Chewings, 1930).

 

By 1 July 1909, they had completed their journey reaching Wave Hill on the Victoria River and were well on their way back to Barrow Creek. Travelling too far to the east on their outward journey from Barrow Creek, Chewings had missed his intended destination, a set of yards by a waterhole on the south east bend of the Victoria River. Catfish yards and waterhole were not only close to Mucka outstation on Wave Hill cattle station but were also the most southerly points and thus the closest existing infrastructure to Barrow Creek for a stock route. Leaving  Wave Hill, Chewings thus travelled by way of Mucka outstation and Catfish yards until he connected with his outward route along Winnecke Creek.

 

On their journey to Wave Hill Chewings’ party had sunk 5 wells and refurbished 8 natural/native waterholes. Returning they sank an extra bore hole but low on supplies they did not convert the  bore into a well. At the Fulge and Circle sites, however, wells were sunk close to the existing waterholes, increasing the number of completed wells to seven as reported in the Brisbane Telegraph newspaper article below of 18 September 1909. Closer to Barrow Creek and after resupply, by August 1909 they had sunk two more wells. Chewings’ work is summarised in the table below.

 

 

Chewings was ultimately paid for 8 of his wells as indicated in the above table. He had proven that sufficient water was available, however, even he noted the possible lack of feed and the extensive areas of a poisonous plant. As far as it is known, the route never saw stock and the majority of the wells, if any, were never used, and as they failed to be located over time their locations disappeared from official maps circa 1950.

 

The reliability of each well position is summarised in the table below. In addition to Chewings’ map above (most of) his wells were found to be indicated on the R401 map series produced by the Australian Army Headquarters Cartographic Company between 1941-1942 at a scale of 1 : 506 880 or 8 miles to 1 inch. Wells from the R401 series listed in the Northern Territory Place Names Committee Register were found to be positionally comparable and so were accepted as being historically accurate. The mileages shown on the 1953 Robinson road map were also considered given the possibility that they were determined by actually driving the route or close to it. By 1953 the location of Green Swamp Well was not depicted, meaning that overall the 1909 and 1953 mileages could not be reconciled with any appreciable accuracy. Overall, as far as it can be established, the location of Chewings’ wells were never fixed other than by Chewings own mileages and compass bearings. Thus it must be concluded, that the wells’ positions determined from this analysis of map locations, are still only best estimates and their reliability questionable.

 

There is also mention that Michael Terry named a Green Swamp during his 1928 expedition. Terry’s map, however, shows his Green Swamp, to be some 250 kilometres to the south west of Chewings’ Green Swamp, in the vicinity of the Tanami Road.

 

 

The locations of Chewings’ wells, as determined from the investigation, are depicted in the map below. The routes are indicated to show Chewings’ work between Barrow Creek and Wave Hill, his return route from Wave Hill until retracing his outward route and after returning to Barrow Creek the establishment of an additional two wells on the Hanson River.

 

Map of the locations of Chewings’ wells, as determined from the investigation; his outward route is depicted in white, return in green and after resupply in yellow.

 

 

 

 

1941 - Three Ways Junction to near Jellebra Rockholes near the Western Australia border and

1942   - Muckaty Bore to Wave Hill

Depicted on the 1945 Robinson pastoral map above, these two routes were completed by Wilfred Hercy Dominick (Jerry) Whitlock (McLean, 2021). Constructed for defence purposes, as the map shows these routes created an east west, shortcut should any wartime circumstances arise. Both routes were made using a fire plough towed behind a tractor. Below is an example of a fire plough of the era and McLean (2021) contains another example. Generally the fire plough was used for creating fire breaks and maintaining station tracks.

 

Truck towing a fire plough (courtesy National Library of Australia from scenes of Tennant Creek and the Northern Territory).

 

1928 photograph of Michael Terry at Jellebra Rockholes (courtesy National Library of Australia).

 

1941 - Southern route

Extending for about 600 kilometres (380 miles) this route left the junction at Three Ways, north of Tennant Creek, and ran until intersecting the Tanami Road at the Northern Territory border with Western Australia, near Jellebra Rockholes.

 

At the Stuart Highway a sign was placed warning future travellers heading west along Whitlock’s track, that there was no reliable water until Gordon Downs in Western Australia some 350 miles away. When water was so important, it is intriguing to see then that Whitlock’s route crossed Chewings’ route between Cattle Swamp Well and Bore Hole, as depicted in 1953 map below. The bore was some 9 miles north of Whitlock’s track with Cattle Swamp Well only 6 miles south of track. Cattle Swamp Well, a well for which Chewings was paid, had then been considered as capable of supplying quantities of good water. If these sources were considered for water in 1941, clearly they were not pursued by Whitlock when in the region. Not only does Whitlock’s track heading not bear in the general direction of either source, his track bypasses both by some distance.     

 

1942 - Northern route

From Muckaty Station this route ran for about 400 kilometres (250 miles) until it met existing station tracks around Wave Hill.

 

Tanami Desert region of the Northern Territory as shown in Road Map of the Northern Territory (HEC Robinson, 1953).

 

Whitlock’s tracks on the 1944, 1 : 1  900 000 scale map was the earliest instance found. For positioning, the larger scale 1 : 1 000 000, Aeronautical Map of January 1953, E-6 Newcastle Waters and September 1952, E-5 Halls Creek, was the best available. Along both routes, the later and larger 1 : 250 000 scale R502 series maps showed only minor indications of their existence around intersections with existing and more major tracks.

 

Both of Whitlock’s routes are depicted in the map below along with the locations of Chewings’ Bore and Cattle Swamp Well.

 

Map showing the routes, from the investigation, of Whitlock’s 1941 track in green and 1942 track in blue.

 

 

 

1964   - Near Old Tennant Creek Telegraph Station to about 90 kilometres north of Tanami on the Tanami to Hooker Creek Track

This route was marked by a series of bench-marks identified as the DE level traverse. Its existence and use by Natmap field parties is recorded as far back as 1968 and was partly accessed in 1970 to position fuel for helicopter operations in support of airborne distance (Aerodist) line measuring operations. A significant amount of data had already been amassed about the geographical positions of these bench-marks and more recent information as outlined below allowed the complete traverse to be positioned (McLean, 2021).

 

Typical Department of the Interior bench-mark collar as used on the DD and DJ level traverses

 

The DE level traverse, along with the DD and DJ level traverses, were marked during 1964 by Technical Officers Norman Francis Vaughan and Carlos Pereira de Lemos from the Survey Branch of the Department of the Interior, Canberra. The levelling survey party used 2 Land Rover 4-wheel-drive vehicles. The Department of the Interior had been requested in 1950 to assist the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) with survey control for the network of gravity measurements being planned across Australia, and later for surveys relating to seismic and geological work. In the reduction of the later gravity observations, heights with errors in excess of 1 metre above mean sea level became significant. Height control was therefore provided by levelling traverses along roads and tracks in the area of any forthcoming survey. In establishing the DE level traverse, Vaughan and de Lemos occasionally sighted Whitlock’s 1941 passage in the terrain. These instances are summarised in a table in McLean (2021).

 

Land Rover typical of that used by the levelling party (courtesy Russell Wenholz)

 

The Gravity Traverse Descriptions (Australian Survey Office, 1986) showed that the DE level traverse commenced at bench-mark DI 54 on the Stuart Highway about 12 kilometres or so south of the Three Ways junction with the Barkly Highway. This bench-mark was on the south west side of the then junction of the Stuart Highway and an old road to the Orlando Mine and about half a kilometre north of the Old Telegraph Station near Tennant Creek. From bench-mark DI 54, the DE level traverse ran generally west for about 470 kilometres to terminate at bench-mark BP 13 about 90 kilometres north of Tanami on the Tanami to Hooker Creek track. There were 57 bench-marks along the DE traverse identified as DE 03 to DE 59 inclusive and placed about 8 kilometres apart. 

 

For the later gravity survey an 800 metre long landing strip (Vaughan Airstrip) was prepared to the south of bench-mark DE 50. Vaughan airstrip then became the site of International Gravity Commission station 38390.

 

The locations of the bench-marks that indicated this route across the Tanami are depicted in the map below.

 

Map showing the bench-mark locations along the DE level traverse.

 

Part of this route was later used in 1972 by a Natmap levelling party. Their task was to connect three existing Aerodist stations to the network on the Australian Height Datum by levelling to third order standards. Bench-marks DE 19, DE 30 and DE 33 were used to connect stations NM/G/290, NM/G/285 and NM/G/292, respectively.    

 

 

 

1965-69 - Yabbagalonga Range west of Muckaty Homestead to north of Hooker Creek   

As part of the Geodetic Survey of Australia a Theodolite/Tellurometer traverse, to first order specifications, was planned to join Mount Willieray (NM/G/7) on the existing Stuart Highway traverse and Mount Turner on the existing Royal Australian Survey Corps traverse in Western Australia. This section of the geodetic survey was formally known as the Helen Springs, Northern Territory - Ord River, Western Australia, Theodolite/Tellurometer traverse.

 

1966 cairn with centre pole and vanes during the survey (courtesy Peter Langhorne)

 

In 1965, Natmap’s Supervising Surveyor (Geodetic), Howard Angas Johnson undertook an aerial and later ground reconnaissance of the proposed route across the difficult section of the Tanami from Willieray to Hooker Creek. Willieray could be accessed from the Stuart Highway but for all the later survey stations, starting with that station on the Yabbagalonga Ranges, access was through Muckaty Homestead along station tracks to Ladabah Bore. For the next 200 miles Johnson made his own track until reaching the station tracks around Hooker Creek. Later in 1965 a small party assembled a centre pole with vanes over the existing 1957 Willieray ground mark and using Johnson’s reconnaissance notes established a further 4 stations. To reduce the risk of costly staked tyres and delay for the survey party to follow, fallen trees were removed, antnests rolled off and the track cleared.

 

           

1966 (left) Natmap camp in the Tanami with International C1300 series four-wheel drive utilities left and right and centre a four-wheel drive R series Bedford (long wheelbase version, cab-chassis configuration) and right the vehicle’s wheel tracks (courtesy Peter Langhorne).

 

The observing and measuring party completed the survey in 1966. Fourteen further survey stations were established before reaching Hooker Creek. In 1968 and 1969 the track was used firstly to provide access to two helicopter camps from which Aerodist ground stations could be established in the heart of the Tanami, followed by the 1969 program of Laplace astronomical observations undertaken at 16 of the 1966 Tanami traverse survey stations.

 

With Ford’s (1979) description of the survey, geographical coordinates were obtained for the 18 stations that indicated this route across the Tanami as depicted in the map below.

 

Map showing the locations of the survey stations marked with a centre pole and vanes on the Willieray - Hooker Creek section of the 1966 Helen Springs, Northern Territory - Ord River, Western Australia, Theodolite/Tellurometer traverse.

 

 

 

1965 - Tennant Creek to Hooker Creek (Wiso Road)

The Wiso Road was found to be depicted on the Hema (2003) 1 : 1 250 000 scale and Westprint (2019) 1 : 1 000 000 scale tourist maps. An unnamed but similar route could also be traced on the current 1 : 250 000 scale National Topographic Map Series. In linking Tennant Creek and Hooker Creek the Wiso Road covered a distance of close to 500 kilometres.

 

While not named, Milligan et al (1966) described a route from Tennant Creek west-north-west to the then Hooker Creek Native Welfare settlement, following partly the vehicle tracks of a Department of the Interior Survey traverse (1964 DE level traverse above) and partly a track blazed by the staff of the Hooker Creek Native Welfare Settlement. Please refer to Appendix B.

 

This track had been used by the then Bureau of Mineral Resources and their contractors in mid 1965 to access and drill 10 scout bore holes being identified by the name of the 1 : 250 000 scale map sheet on which the holes were located and a unique sequential number. The scout holes were thus Green Swamp Well (GSW) 1-5, Winnecke Creek (WC) 1-4 and Tanami East (TE) -1. The position of Green Swamp Well and Winnecke Creek scout holes in relation to the tracks depicted on the current 1 : 250 000 scale National Topographic Map Series allowed the route of the Wiso Road to be confirmed.

 

Bureau of Mineral Resources drilling contractor vehicles in mid 1965 on the later named Wiso Road (courtesy Ted Milligan).

 

The nine Bureau of Mineral Resources scout holes and route of the Wiso Road are depicted in the map below. (Note that as shown in Appendix B, the tenth scout hole [Tanami East] TE-1 was drilled well off the main route and is therefore not shown).

 

Map showing the locations the nine Bureau of Mineral Resources scout holes along the route of the Wiso Road.

 

Around 1974, to access an exploration site a track was graded from Wiso Bore (around bench-mark DE 12). Inferred from the track ending in the south west corner of the SE52-16 Tanami East, 1 : 250 000 scale geological series, the exploration site was in this general region.  From Wiso Bore the access track essentially followed the DE level survey bench-marks to DE 45 before meandering south west for nearly 100 kilometres. As shown on the extract from Google Earth below traces of the track and kilometre long airstrip established to service the exploration site can still be identified.

 

Extract from Google Earth identifying the track and part of the airstrip established to service the exploration site.

 

 

 

Map depicting the six Routes

The investigated routes through the Tanami Desert region have now been combined on a single common base as shown below. The relativity of the routes to one another should be taken as indicative only, given the varying accuracy of the available source data. This map, however, provides a view of past activity through the Tanami Desert during some 60 years of the 20th century.

 

Overview map depicting the six routes across the Tanami Desert and location of the Vaughan and Exploration airstrips.

 

 

 

Acknowledgements

The research of Laurie McLean, former Natmapper, and Dr David Nash, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Linguistics, School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, Australian National University, Canberra, provided background for this project which is hereby formally acknowledged.

 

 

 

Compiled by Paul Wise, January 2022.

 

 

 

Sources

Australian Survey Office (1986), Gravity Traverse Descriptions and related material for 1964 DD, DE and DJ traverses in the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory; digital files of photocopied Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics material kindly provided by Dr David Nash in July 2021.

 

Chewings, Charles (1930), A Journey from Barrow Creek to Victoria River, an article in The Geographical Journal, Volume 76, No. 4, October 1930, pages 316-338.  Published by The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). London.

 

Flavelle, Alan J (1965), Helicopter survey by contract, NT and Qld 1965, Part I, Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, Department of National Development, Canberra, ACT; accessed from Geoscience Australia web site at : http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/11665

 

Ford, Reginald Arthur (1979), Program 1966 : Helen Springs, NT - Ord River, WA Theodolite/Tellurometer traverse (including towers), in The Division of National Mapping's Part in the Geodetic Survey of Australia, in The Australian Surveyor, June, September and December 1979, Vol.29, No.6, pp.375-427; Vol.29, No.7, pp.465-536; Vol.29, No.8, pp.581-638, ISSN 00050326, published by the Institution of Surveyors, Australia accessed at : http://xnatmap.org/adnm/ops/prog/rafgeosvy/16.htm

 

Fuller, Colin Albert, OAM (2021), former Supervising Surveyor, Department of the Interior, personal communications.

 

Hema (2003), Great Desert Tracks, DVD 2nd Edition, Hema Maps Pty Ltd.

 

Home and Territories (Department) (1920), Plan shewing pastoral leases, grazing licences and pastoral permits in the Northern Territory of Australia, revised to 30th June 1920, accessed at : https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1994233536/view

 

Hossfeld, Paul Samuel (1954), Stratigraphy and Structure of the Northern Territory of Australia, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia Incorporated Centenary Volume, Vol.77, July 1954, Published and Sold at The Society's Rooms, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, accessed at : https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41336915#page/129/mode/1up

 

Jensen, Peter (2011), Post-World War II Topographic Mapping by the Royal Australian Survey Corps, 100 Years of National Topographic Mapping Conference, Canberra, paper 8 on CDROM.

 

Kennewell, PJK & Huleatt, MBH (1980), Geology of the Wiso Basin, Northern Territory, Bulletin 205, Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, Department of National Development & Energy.

 

Milligan, Edward N, Smith, Ken G, Nichols, Ralph AH, Doutch, HF (1966), Geology of the Wiso Basin, Northern Territory; Record No Rec1966/047, Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics, Department of National Development, Canberra, ACT.

 

McLean, Lawrence William (2021), Wilfred Hercy Dominick Whitlock (1898-1978); Nat Map Driver (Survey) 1949, XNATMAP website at : http://xnatmap.org/adnm/people/aabout/Whitlock/Whitlock%20WHD.htm

 

Nash, David (2001), History of Karlantijpa country, northern central Australia, (27 June 2021 update), accessed at https://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/history.html

 

Nash, David (2005), Whitlock tracks 1941-42, (18 May 2021 update), accessed at https://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/Whitlock.html

 

Nash, David (2008), 1909 Chewings and 1910 Ross, (16 May 2021 update), accessed at : https://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/1909-chewings.html

 

Nichols, Ralph (2008), The Tanami Desert during the BMR Wiso Basin Geological Survey, 1965, accessed at : http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/1965-BMR/RNichols.html

 

Robinson, Herbert Edward Cooper (1945), Map of Northern Territory showing pastoral stations &c. Northern Territory road map, compiled and published by HEC Robinson Pty Ltd, Sydney; accessed from the National Library of Australia at : https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-410786254/view

 

Robinson, Herbert Edward Cooper (1953), Northern Territory road map, compiled and published by HEC Robinson Pty Ltd, Sydney; accessed from the National Library of Australia at : https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-234121977/view

 

Surveyor General's Office Adelaide (1885), Plan shewing pastoral leases and claims in the Northern Territory of South Australia, compiled in the 1885, accessed at : https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-230705067/view

 

Westprint (2019), Australia's Outback Tracks, 1 :1M scale digital map, Westprint Heritage Maps Pty Ltd.

 

Wise, Paul Joseph (2011), Australia’s First 1 : 250 000 Scale, Uniform Topographic Map Coverage : The R502 Story, 100 Years of National Topographic Mapping Conference, Canberra, paper 6 on CDROM.

Wise, Paul Joseph (2021), Levelling Connections, Tanami Region Northern Territory, 1972, accessed at : http://xnatmap.org/adnm/ops/prog/ahd/1972%20levcons/1972%20levcons.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix A

 

Map Search for Chewings’ and/or Whitlock Information

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix B

 

Extracted from Milligan et al (1966), The Geology of the Wiso Basin

 

The Wiso Basin occupies about 40 000 square miles between Tennant Creek and Tanami in the Northern Territory. Most of this area is desert, and little was known of its geology before 1965, when a field party from the Bureau of Mineral Resources made a reconnaissance survey and also drilled 10 scout holes. The Bureau also conducted, by contract, a reconnaissance gravity survey in 1965.

 

Wiso Basin highlighted in yellow on base map courtesy Geoscience Australia,

 

Vehicle tracks, numbered 1 to 4, useful for navigation by four-wheel drive vehicles are highlighted in the figure below :

 

(1)             from Tennant Creek west-north-west to Hooker Creek Native Welfare settlement, following partly the vehicle tracks of a Department of the Interior Survey traverse and partly a track blazed by the staff of the Hooker Creek Native Welfare Settlement. This track (orange) has been deeply rutted in places by drilling vehicles (used by BMR in mid 1965 to drill the 10 scout holes mentioned above);

 

(2)             the Department of the Interior Survey tracks which run from the Tanami-Hooker Creek road to its junction with track (1). These tracks (blue) have been used by Wongela Geophysical Toyotas and Land Rovers but are less well defined than track (1);

 

(3)             BMR tracks bypassing heavy sand on track (1). The tracks (pink) were formed by Land Rovers, Toyotas, and a G.M.C. ‘Blitz’;

 

(4)             BMR tracks (green) from Merrina Waterhole to track (2). The northern section is dragged in part and used by drilling vehicles as far as the branch off to scout hole [Tanami East] TE-1. The remaining section has been used only by Land Rovers and is indistinct.

 

 

 

Naming the Wiso Basin

From 1935-41, the Aerial, Geological and Geophysical Survey of Northern Australia (AGGSNA), sponsored jointly by the Governments of the Commonwealth, Queensland and Western Australia, conducted investigations in the above two States and the Northern Territory. Paul Samuel Hossfeld (1896-1967) was the Senior Geologist in charge of the Northern Territory Geological Party for that Survey (or simply NAS) and conducted extensive ground and air reconnaissance surveys over large parts of the Territory, and selected areas for aerial photography.

 

During the Northern Territory geological surveys, a previously unnamed series of deposits in 1936 were named the Buldivan Series. The name being derived from the Buldiva Area, the first locality where the deposits were mapped and examined by NAS. Buldiva Creek is a minor tributary of the Daly River, some 160 kilometres west north west of Katherine, along which was located the Buldiva Mine.

 

Later, an uncommon geological aspect with the Buldivan Series was found to extend from the vicinity of Newcastle Waters in a southerly direction to a short distance north of Tennant Creek. The resulting geographical divisions of the Buldivan Series then being named the Buldiva-Wiso and the Barkly Basins. The Buldiva-Wiso Basin extended from the Douglas River in a southerly direction probably as far as the sector west of Tennant Creek. The Barkly Basin extended in a south easterly direction into Queensland.

 

A large, then unmapped area, bounded approximately by Newcastle Waters, Wave Hill, The Granites and Barrow Creek, and believed to be underlain at shallow depths by Cambrian sediments, was named the Wiso Area by Hossfeld in 1937. Further he proposed that the whole region be named the Wiso Tableland. Thus the underlying sedimentary basin became officially known as the Wiso Basin.