Editing Canning Stock Route (section)

===Using the stock route===

====First droving runs====
Commercial droving along the stock route began in 1910. The first few droves were of small groups of horses – the first started out with 42 horses of which only nine survived the journey.<ref name="Culture" />

The first mob of [[Ox|bullocks]] to attempt to use the stock route set out in January 1911; however, the party of three [[Drover (Australian)|drovers]], George Shoesmith, James Thompson and an Aboriginal stockman who was known as "Chinaman", were killed by Aboriginals at Well 37. Thomas Cole discovered their bodies later in 1911 during his successful drove along the stock route. In September 1911, Sergeant R.H. Pilmer led a police "punitive expedition" to find the culprits and ensure the stock route remained open.<ref>Pilmer, quoted in the ''East Murchison News'' on 22 September 1911: "I can assure you that it is the intention of the authorities that Canning's track shall be a main highway to the Nor-'West and that that route shall be entirely cleared of all obstacles likely to be a menace to those using that route."</ref> The police made no arrests, but the expedition was considered a success after Pilmer acknowledged killing at least 10 Aboriginals.<ref>[http://www.hesperianpress.com/index.php/booklist/2011-06-16-12-23-53/n-titles/247-northern-patrol R.H. Pilmer. ''Northern patrol: an Australian saga'', edited and annotated by Cathie Clement and Peter Bridge, Hesperian Press, WA, 1996]</ref>

On 7 September 1911 it was reported that the first mob of cattle to traverse the entire length of the stock route had successfully arrived in Wiluna. The cattle had apparently gained condition on the long drove.<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33397013 ''Kalgoorlie Western Argus'', 12 September 1911], accessed 30 December 2010.</ref>

The stock route was closed at some time prior to 1925. In 1925 the [[Billiluna Station|Billiluna Pastoral Company]] requested that it be reopened. The state government refused saying that it had fallen into disrepair from disuse as a result of stockmen being attacked by Aboriginals. The government claimed it would cost £5,625 and take six months to repair and refused to consider the expenditure at that time.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78441223 |title=Canning Stock Route cannot be re-opened |newspaper=[[The Daily News (Perth, Western Australia)|The Daily News]] |volume=XLIV |issue=15,720 |location=Western Australia |date=11 September 1925 |access-date=4 March 2017 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Despite police protection, drovers were afraid to use the track and it was rarely used for almost 20 years. Between 1911 and 1931, only eight mobs of cattle were driven along the Canning Stock Route.<ref name="Culture"/>

====Reopening of the stock route====
A 1928 Royal Commission into the price of beef in Western Australia led to the re-opening of the stock route. In 1929, William Snell was commissioned to repair the wells and found that the only wells undamaged were the ones that Aboriginal people could use. Snell criticised the construction of Canning's wells because they were difficult for Aboriginal people to use safely, and he put the destruction of the wells down to the anger and frustration people felt at being unable to access traditional water sources.<ref name="nmaReopening">[http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/yiwarra_kuju/reopening/ Re-opening the stock route 1929-31 – Of mining and meat: The story of the Canning Stock Route] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322004242/http://www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/yiwarra_kuju/reopening/ |date=22 March 2011 }}, [[National Museum of Australia]], accessed 4 June 2010</ref> Snell personally committed to making the wells more accessible to Aboriginal people:<blockquote>Natives cannot draw water from the Canning Stock Route wells. It takes three strong white men to land a bucket of water. It is beyond the natives power to land a bucket. They let go the handle [and] some times escape with their life but get an arm and head broken in the attempt to get away. To heal the wounds so severely inflicted and [as] a safeguard against the natives destroying the wells again I equipped the wells ... so that the native can draw water from the wells without destroying them.—William Snell<ref>State Records Office WA, File 64/30: "Miscellaneous information requested by Aborigines Dept re condition of natives along the Canning Stock Route".</ref></blockquote>

Snell started work on the refurbishment of the wells, fitting some with ladders for easier access, but he abandoned the work after well 35.  Reports vary that he either ran out of materials or the desert became too much for him.

In 1930, Alfred Canning (then aged 70) was commissioned to complete the work. While Snell had encountered no hostility, Canning had trouble with the Aboriginals from the start but successfully completed the commission in 1931.<ref name="Canning"/><ref>John Slee, [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A070563b.htm Canning, "Alfred Wernam (1860–1936)"], ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Online Edition, Australian National University, accessed online 28 December 2006, ISSN 1833-7538</ref>

With these improvements, the route was used on a more regular basis although in total, it would only be used around 20 times between 1931 and 1959 when the last droving run was completed.<ref>"Last mob of cattle to travel down the Canning Stock Route – left well 51 on 9 June 1959, arrived at Wiluna on 13 August 1959", ''Post & rail'', March 1994, p. 9.</ref> None of the larger [[Station (Australian agriculture)|station]] owners used the track as it was found that only 600 head of cattle could be supported at a time, which was 200 less than was estimated when first completed. As Carnegie had accurately reported in 1896, the track was impractical for cattle drives.<ref name="Culture"/><ref name="Canning"/>

During the [[World War II|Second World War]] the track was upgraded at considerable expense in case it was needed for an evacuation of the north if Australia was invaded. Including horse drives there were only 37 recorded drives between 1910 and the last run in 1959.<ref name="Tick"/>