Michael Patrick Durack's leather satchel

Bag
A leather legacy

When the centre of government administration lies 3000 km to the south, it was important to keep your legal documents and land titles safe. This satchel was made for MP Durack by an Argyle Saddler in the 1890s. He carried it with him everywhere, whether travelling by horseback, buggy, or in later years, by motorcar. He referred to it always as “my secretary”. His initials can be seen at the top of the case. MP Durack possibly used this satchel to hold the titles to the Durack leases, that had been issued in the 1880s. Patsy Durack’s cousins “Big Johnnie”, “Black Pat” and “Long Michael" had led many other drovers with four large mobs of cattle to make the gruelling 2½ year-trip, bringing 7,250 cattle to take up their Kimberley runs which they called Argyle Downs Station, Lissadell and Rosewood Stations.

Available at:

Argyle Homestead Museum

Kings in Grass Castles

Stone by stone, the Argyle Homestead was moved from its original site,now under the waters of the ‘top dam’ on the Ord River, to its current home on the edge of Lake Argyle. It was the former home of...

Address:

Lake Argyle Road
Lake Argyle WA 6743
Australia

Open Hours
April to September, 7 days 8am - 4pm

More from the Argyle Homestead Museum

Little black box

As robust as the man himself, the box camera - with its handsome cover, thought to be made by Kimberley Durack - survived the heat, tropical storms, floods and the rigours of a cattleman's life in one...

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Every station has its own cattle brand, and great effort was made by managers to brand their cattle to outwit the rogue rustlers of the area. 7PD was the brand that Patsy Durack brought to the...

While you're in the area

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