June 18th

Disappointingly we had to make the decision not to continue with our plan to go to Mt Murchison Station. The weather forecast of 30 mls combined with the present condition of the roads told us to KEEP TO BITUMEN.

I did have the pleasure of speaking to the present owner of Netallie Station. 16 kms from Wilcannia on the Barrier Highway. This property was owned by Alfred Desailly in about the 1870s. Alfred was a younger brother to my Great Grandfather Edwin Desailly.

The current owner, Jeremy McClure, was pleased to speak to me but sadly advised that the track into the Homestead was too wet for traffic. The McClure Family will have owned the Netallie Station for 100 years in 2017. Jeremy said his Grand father (or maybe Great grandfather) purchased it in 1917.

We have travelled on to Cobar where we are camped near the town reservoir. Rain is threatening and it will be surprising if it does not rain during the night. The country is very obviously WET and very unlike the dry scenery we saw 2 years ago.

Gateway to Netallie Station (near Wilcannia)