Camel

While the story of this particular camel has been lost, it is used here to tell the tale of the early European explorers who relied on camels to push the frontiers of exploration. In 1871 Ernest Giles and his exploratory party crossed central Australia from east to west using camels to endure the long lonely stretches of dry desert country. They reached what is now Toodyay in November 1875 amid much fanfare. Their arrival marked the first time camels had been brought into Western Australia. Apparently the beasts of burden frightened the horses at first. But it wasn’t long until camels became commonplace as pack and draught animals, enabling further settlement and exploration in the expanding colony.