Canning Stock Route signage

Sign

A stock route with a dark past

In the early 1900s the WA Government was looking for a new inland means of moving cattle between the Kimberley region and the south of the state. Alfred Canning was hired to survey the route, and later to lead the construction party. Canning subjected Aboriginal people to harsh, exploitative treatment. For example, people were chained and denied water, in order to force them to identify the location of water holes. Most of the Aboriginal people used to find water would have been local Martu, familiar with their own Country. The Canning Stock Route was completed on 12th March 1910. This sign was donated by Mark De Graaf (dec.), Minh de Graaf and family, and Richard and Beverly House.

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Shire of Wiluna Canning-Gunbarrel Discovery Centre

A stop on the edge of the desert

Wiluna is the southern gateway to the Canning Stock Route and the western gateway to the Gunbarrel Highway. The Canning-Gunbarrel Discovery Centre is housed inside the old Wiluna District Hospital and...

Address:

28 Scotia St
Wiluna WA 6646
Australia

Tel:

(08) 9981 8009

Email:

reception@wiluna.wa.gov.au

Open Hours

Mon to Fri 9am - 4:00pm; Weekends by prior appointment.

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Shire of Wiluna Canning-Gunbarrel Discovery Centre Overview

Warri's spear thrower

Star crossed lovers

This is the spear thrower owned by Warri, which was used up until he and Yatungka were brought in from the desert in the 1970s. In the 1930s Warri and Yatungka (both Martu) fell in love and eloped...

Wati Kutjarra (two men of the dreamtime) by multiple artists

Follow the footsteps

This painting tells the story of Wadi Katjurra - of two dreamtime men walking through Country, depicted as two sets of footprints. The work was first started on the red dust of Ululla Station (an...