Murranji Track

The land surrounding the Murranji Track was first explored by Europeans by John McDouall Stuart who found it impenetrable and it was first used as a track by pastoralist and drover Nat Buchanan in 1886 when taking cattle to The Kimberleys (Western Australia). Buchanan travelled alongside Gordon Buchanan, "Greenhide" Sam Croker, Willie Glass, Archie Ferguson and Mick Berry. Their journey was successful as they were led through by a Mudburra guide, who showed them where to find water, and the name "Murranji" comes from the name for a species of burrowing frog in the Mudburra language. Ernestine Hill wrote about the history and development of the track for Walkabout (magazine) in 1949. Abbott also said of the track more generally: In the 1950s it was also frequently travelled by Bill Tapp who established a droving business which used it regularly. It was also travelled by Ellen Kettle in 1962 as pictured above. == Graffiti ==

The tanks along the Murranji Track are also home to a significant collection of graffiti, these date from the late 1930s to the 1960s and are a unique form of documentation along the track. All of these messages are faded and some have completely disappeared but many still survive. The graffiti primarily consists of messages, insults, poems, laments and drawings of the Murranji drovers. There are also a number of signatures including one by Owen Cummins the "Territory's own man from Snowy River". == Resources about ==

• Lewis, Darrell (2007). The Murranji track: ghost road of the drovers. Rockhampton, QLD CQU Press. • Australia. Office of the Aboriginal Land Commissioner & Kearney, William & Australia. Department of Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Territory. Administrator & Australia. (1987). Murranji land claim. == Notable drovers on the Track ==

• Beetaloo Jangari Bill • Nathaniel Buchanan • Sam Croker • Owen Cummins • William Linklater • Edna Zigenbine == Coordinates ==

• The Track begins at Murrunji, nearby the Queensland border: • A midway point is the Murranji Bore: • It ends at Peak Knob: == References ==