• 1860-1936
• surveyor
• born on 21 February 1860 at Campbellfield, Victoria.
• My name is Alfred Canning and I represent ‘Golden soil, wealth for toil’ because in 1906 I surveyed a possible stockroute for bringing live cattle from the Kimberley district to the goldfields of Western Australia. I then organised a second expedition – consisting of 20 men, 62 camels, two horses and 400 goats (for milk and meat) – to construct the necessary water wells along the route. The temperature during the day was blazing hot. At night it was freezing cold. Along the way, every kilometre or so, we had to cross ridges of sand 15 to 18 metres high! It was a Herculean task, taking until 1910 to finish.

IDEA FOR SCENE: Show one part of the difficult journey in the expedition to make wells so there would be water to drink along the stock route from the Kimberley to the WA goldfields.

1901-2001 Centenary of Federation

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