For helping me in the preparation of this book I have particularly to thank Mr Jas Jervis of History House, Sydney, and his colleagues of the Mitchell Library for their patient search in unearthing information from the Immigration files of the late 1840s and early fifties. To Mr Garth Mansfield of Sydney I am in debt for discovering the location and procuring photostat copies of early maps of holdings in the Goulburn district and for putting me on the track of many sources of information relating to the contemporary life of the area.
Miss Miriam Chisholm of Kippilaw, NSW, a descendant of the original owner of the estate, was most co-operative in sending me details of the terms and conditions under which members of the family were contracted for farm work on arrival in the colony.
To the Oxley Memorial Library, the Land Administration Board of Brisbane, and to the Lands Department, Public Library and Battye Archives of Perth, I owe yet another debt for unfailing patience and for much precise information and data.
I must also mention in particular Geoffrey Bolton, MA, (later Professor Bolton, AO) who, in preparing his thesis on the Kimberley Pastoral Industry, sifted from masses of family business records many facts relevant to this document.
To relatives throughout the continent, particularly to my Tully cousins in the Quilpie district of western Queensland, to Kathleen MacArthur of Caloundra, Queensland, granddaughter of my father’s uncle ‘Stumpy’ Michael, to Mrs Peppin, daughter of ‘Big Pat’ Scanlan of Springfield, I owe more than I can say for hospitality, information, letters, documents and photographs. Nor should I forget the advice and help of my sister Elizabeth, the valuable contribution of my brother Kim in preparing the maps found in this book, the information supplied by my cousins Gerald Durack of Harvey, whose careful filing system of old letters and newspaper cuttings proved invaluable, Eric Durack of Darwin and Walter Durack of Arrino. I owe much also to my late Aunt Mary’s sons, Kenneth and Douglas Davidson (then the owner of the Dunham Station outside Wyndham), who burned the midnight oil with me in resurrecting the past from our grandfather’s records and making sense for me out of a bewildering tangle of legal documents.
For information regarding family origins I am indebted to my late Uncle Dermot (Professor J. J. Durack), who died in Dublin in 1956 and to those scholars and historians, notably Father John Clancy of County Clare, who helped him in his search.
For measuring the areas of various family holdings I owe sincere thanks to Mr Maurice Mulcahy of Perth, and for their valuable assistance with photographic illustration West Australian Newspapers Ltd, Walkabout Magazine and Mr Phillip Mathews.
Of the many people I have called on for odd pieces of information I would like to mention especially Mr Tom Owen of the State Steamship Co, WA, for information on early ships and costs of charter, Mr Sydney Emanuel of London, representative for Emanuel Estates in Kimberley, WA, and a grandson of the late Mr Solomon Emanuel of Goulburn who figures in this book, and Mr W. MacDonald, present owner of Fossil Downs Station, nephew of pioneer Willie MacDonald of the 3,500-mile overland trail from Goulburn to West Kimberley.
The Reverend Mother and nuns of Loreto Convent, Nedlands, WA, I sincerely thank for access to the historical section of their library and for the help and inspiration they have been at all times.
My particular thanks are due also to my friends Florence James and Dr Phyllis Kaberry who read my manuscript in the rough and gave so much helpful advice, at least some of which I hope I have been able to carry out.
Lastly I must thank that most efficient, indefatigable and always encouraging midwife of so many shaggy manuscripts of West Australian writers—our friend and typist Marjorie Rees.
And also my beloved husband and six children who have suffered this seemingly unending project.