Editing Canning Stock Route (section)

==Traverses==
[[File:CSR JakubPostrzygacz.JPG|thumb|Jakub Postrzygacz with his special fat-bike on the Canning Stock Route near Kumpupintil Lake|alt=Photograph of Jakub Postrzygacz with his special [[fatbike]] on the Canning Stock Route near Kumpupintil Lake]]
In the 1950s horses became scarce in the Kimberley as widespread losses were caused by  "[[Crotalaria|walkabout poison]]".<ref>[http://www.nt.gov.au/d/Content/File/p/Anim_Dis/843.pdf Walkabout (Kimberley Horse) Disease] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319041935/http://www.nt.gov.au/d/Content/File/p/Anim_Dis/843.pdf |date=19 March 2011 }}</ref> This led to the stock route being used to drove horses north from around the [[Norseman, Western Australia|Norseman]] area where they were sold to the stations.  Wally Dowling, a drover who had made nine droves along the stock route took what was probably the last group of horses northwards along the route in September 1951.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48989228 |title=Brumbies For Kimberleys; A Long Trek. |newspaper=[[The West Australian]] |location=Perth |date=7 September 1951 |access-date=31 December 2010 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
In 1968 the entire length of the track was driven for the first time by surveyors Russell Wenholz and David Chudleigh, and Noel Kealley.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

In 1972, before the route was regularly negotiated in [[four-wheel drive]]s, ambitious attempts to complete it on foot took place. A New Zealander, Murray Rankin, and two English brothers, John and Peter Waterfall, fashioned homemade trolleys from bicycle wheels and metal tubing, and began their attempt starting from Wiluna in early June 1972. First John and then Peter turned back, but Rankin continued to [[Kumpupintil Lake]], then called Lake Disappointment, before being forced to abandon the attempt. The remains of one of their trolleys lie {{convert|19|km}} north of well 15.

In 1973 Rankin tried again, this time starting from Old Halls Creek with Englishman John Foulsham. This time they had professionally built trolleys with motor-cycle wheels. The walk began on 1 June. Soon after reaching Godfrey's Tank they were unable to pull the trolleys over the high sand hills. They left them and walked on to Lake Tobin and there abandoned the attempt and returned to Halls Creek.

Three years later, in 1976, Rankin achieved his ambition to walk the stock route. After driving the route in a Land Rover and establishing food depots along the way, he set out from Halls Creek on 12 July 1976 with three other bushwalkers, Ralph Barraclough, Kathy Burman and Rex Shaw. Barraclough turned back after becoming ill, but the others completed the journey in just under three months.<ref name="grimwade">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ashadocs.org/aha/16/16_04_Grimwade.pdf |title=Gordon Grimwade, ''The Canning Stock Route: Desert stock route to outback tourism'', Australasian Historical Archaeology, 16, 1998 |access-date=28 June 2011 |archive-date=26 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626133650/http://www.ashadocs.org/aha/16/16_04_Grimwade.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> <!--Note the article  referred to in (27) is 
inaccurate on the first two attempts. See Weekend News Perth 8 July 1972 "Fools the Outback Will Tell" and Sunday Times 10 June 1973 "Walkers have a good chance of making it". A fuller account is in Perth Bushwalkers Club 40 Years 1969/2009 Edited by Jenny Young and published by Perth Bushwalkers Club pages 18–25-->

In 1974, the first motorcycle crossing from Wiluna to Billiluna was achieved by Paul Allardyce, Colin Fitzgerald and Andy Bowman. They had air support flown by John Fitzgerald and Phil Schubert.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.canningwalker.com/recent-adventure-history-1968-today |title=Canning Stock Route Cyclists, Walkers and Other Notable Achievements |website=Canning Walker |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806102053/http://www.canningwalker.com/recent-adventure-history-1968-today |archive-date=6 August 2017 }}</ref>

In 1977, the first commercial tour completed the drive.<ref name="grimwade" />

During the 1980s fuel dumps were created and adventurous travellers became interested in the history of the track and the challenge to drive it.

In 1985, a [[Dune buggy|Beach Buggy]] driven by Gordon Hayes, became the first two-wheel drive vehicle to complete the CSR under its own power. A support crew carried the fuel.<ref name="A Traveller pg 148">Canning Stock Route – A Traveller's Guide by Eric and Ronele Gard pg 148</ref>

In 1991, a [[Citroën 2CV]], driven by Rupert Backford and Mathew Rawlings, completed the CSR with a support crew towing the car over many of the dunes.<ref name="A Traveller pg 148"/>

In 1993 long-distance walker Drew Kettle walked the route.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2000471~S2 |title=Potter, Rosie.(1994) Drew Kettle – profile of long distance walker – just walked the Canning Stock Route. Nugget News, Vol. 6 no. 6, (Aug/Sept 1993), pp. 26–27 |access-date=10 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308192503/http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2000471~S2 |archive-date=8 March 2012 }}</ref>

In 1997 Robin Rishworth cycled,<ref>''Kalgoorlie Miner'' (23 July 1997). "Cyclist Does What Can't Be Done".</ref><ref>[http://www.sefwdc.org.au/pasttrips/canning/canning.htm Trip Gunbarrel Highway, Canning Stock Route, July – August 1997: Southern Explorers 4WD Club] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140403220653/http://www.sefwdc.org.au/pasttrips/canning/canning.htm |date=3 April 2014 }}</ref> with the aid of food drops, in just less than 27 days, and is considered to be the first modern day solo cyclist.

In 2004 [[Kate Leeming]], as part of a longer trek, completed the route with the aid of a support vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2276750~S2 |title=''Cyclist conquers Canning Stock Route''. Kate Leeming thought to be the first woman to successfully cycle the stock route.''Broome advertiser'', 28 Oct. 2004, p.8 |access-date=10 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308192456/http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2276750~S2 |archive-date=8 March 2012 }}</ref>

In 2005 Jakub Postrzygacz became the first person to traverse the entire track without either support or the use of food drops, travelling alone by [[fatbike]] for 33 days. With large tyres and a single-wheel [[bicycle trailer|trailer]], he carried all his food with him and replenished his water at wells.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wildworks.co.nz/csr/home.php |title=Canning Stock Route Adventure: Jakub Postrzygacz |access-date=23 January 2012 |archive-date=4 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204045649/http://wildworks.co.nz/csr/home.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2016 Sam Mitchell towed an array of solar panels behind his fatbike. This was the first time a solar powered vehicle traversed the complete length of the route.<ref>[https://rideonmagazine.com.au/ebiking-the-outback/ Ride On Magazine (online), posted 21 April 2017, Peter Foot interviews Sam Mitchell]</ref>