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Up stream was a ford where Rose could manoeuvre the truck across. Harry watched from the bank to see when she reached the other side.
With the children in the back of the truck, Rose slowly entered the water. The force caused the truck to slide sideways – Harry felt a lump form in his throat. Rose straightened the truck and drove directly into the flooded stream. The wheels covered with water, she edged the truck toward the centre of the river.
With the wheels slowly turning she felt the truck dip; and hoped the water wasn’t deep enough to flood the motor. To keep the motor running, she kept the truck moving. Lucky for Rose the river had a hard base of gravel and not sand. The flood washed away the sandy bottom to leave solid gravel.
Harry saw his dogs fully covered in water. He almost shouted for her to stop and let the dogs out of their boxes. They were below the back tray of the truck and locked in their boxes, a steel cage only large enough to house one dog and a trap door at the end of the cage to release it. Each dog had its nostril forced against the top of each box to breathe.
Rose continued driving through the water without fear to get to the other side. About half way across Harry saw the truck lunge forward and hoped it kept going. Rose was driving slower and this was the way he’d shown her how to cross a flooded river.
It wasn’t far to the other side and to safety. The dogs were completely covered in water and if Rose couldn’t move from the middle of the river in time – the dogs would drown.
Rose pressed her foot on the accelerator, the motor roared into action and the truck crossed to the other side of the river to safety. The children in the back of the truck roared with-laughter when they arrived on the other side and waved to Harry, calling out they’d made it.
Harry looked to see if his dogs had drowned and saw them wagging their tails and shaking water from their coats.

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Rose made it across and now it was his turn to get the cattle to the other side.
When crossing cattle through water, particularly flooded rivers, cattle fear water and moreso swimming. It’s better to give them their lead and hopefully the leaders will guide the others across the river.
Claire rode Dusty; Greg rode his horse and Harry rode Falcon.
‘After we let the leaders into the water, Greg you go on the left wing and Claire you take the right, I’ll stay at the rear. Take it steady and if any of the cattle get freight – look after yourself. We can replace the beast but it’s hard to replace either of you.’ Harry commanded in a sincere voice.
‘We’ll be right uncle – see you on the other side.’ Greg shouted before he rode to his position.
‘You take it steady Claire – let Dusty guide you. See you over the other side.’ He kindly said to his daughter. If anything ever happened to Claire he would never forgive himself. It was now up to her and Dusty.
‘I’ll be okay Dad, see you over there.’ Claire voiced before riding to her position. She was excited to help her father with crossing the cattle. It was a huge responsibility for a nine year old, especially a girl.
Riding at the rear of the mob Harry saw everything as it unfolded or about to happen. The leaders lead the mob to the edge of the water, Greg on the left wing, pushed the slower ones into the water whilst Claire did the same on her wing.
Everything was going fine. The leaders began to swim and others followed. Overnight the water slowed and Harry was thankful he’d put off crossing the cattle until the next day instead of late the afternoon before.
It was a shame Harry didn’t have a photograph to record the crossing. It would have made a delightful picture to show his grandchildren later in life when he and his nephew with his own daughter, one aged twelve and the other nine, crossed five hundred bullocks with ten horses across the

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flooded Diamantina River. He felt proud of these two youngsters who played their roles as if they were born to be drovers.
Harry noticed the leaders’ final accent to the other side; the others followed. Greg and Claire were now safely across to the other side pushing the cattle up over the bank of the river to the open plain ahead. All had gone well, better than expected. He sat atop of Falcon with a sigh of relief. A good job – well done, ran thought his thoughts. Confidently he swam Falcon across the flooded river and couldn’t wipe the smile from his face when they landed on the other side. All had gone to plan.
For the remainder of the day the cattle feed on the lush grasses near to the river, drank their fill and camped on the open plain. After lunch Harry moved the stock another ten miles and set up camp for the night.
Whilst Greg and Hector rode around the cattle at dusk, Harry enjoyed a wonderful meal cooked by Rose. What would’ve he done without his soul mate? He didn’t know.
‘I’ll relieve Greg and Hector if you want Dad?’ Claire asked her father after he’d finished his meal and rolled a smoke.
‘Alright, I’ll join you shortly. Tell them to come in for their supper.’ Harry felt bodily tied but he didn’t feel mind tied. He needed to keep alert. How could he rest when he had three youngsters working harder than the whole six men who’d left? His pride wouldn’t let him be tied and he needed to keep going at whatever cost.
Shortly after daybreak he saw a plume of dust on the horizon and after focusing his eyes saw a motor vehicle heading toward him. It was a police vehicle. What the hell do they want? He thought. The vehicle pulled up at the camp and a police officer in uniform stepped from the vehicle.
‘G’day, I’m Eric Sammon, from Birdsville.’ He walked over to Harry and they shook hands.

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‘I’m Harry Williams and this is my wife Rose.’ Harry replied to the officer.
‘Pleased to meet you missus.’ He tilted his hat toward Rose.
‘What can I do for you officer?’ Harry asked. He wasn’t intimidated by the police officer but didn’t have much to do with the law only the time he went for his driver’s license and a couple of other times. He was a law abiding citizen.
‘Can I have a look at your stock, where’d you come from and where you going?’ The officer inquired. Whenever a police officer asked a question it always had a sense of authority in the question. Was it the way the police officer asked the question or was it something to fear, Harry wondered.
‘We’ve been on the road for almost ten months. I’ve got five hundred bullocks from Bulloo Downs in south west Queensland and taking them to Clifton Hills in South Australia.’ Harry answered with honesty and integrity.
‘Could I have a look at your stock permit and way bill?’ The police officer asked.
‘Yeah – I’ll get it for you.’ Harry left the camp to go to the front glove compartment of the truck to retrieve the documentation.
‘Would you like a cup of tea officer?’ Rose asked.
‘Oh, yes please – I’d love one, thank you.’ The officer replied. At times it was a difficult job but according to the law he needed to sight the stock permit and waybill and make an inspection of the travelling stock.
Harry returned with the stock permit and waybill and handed it to the officer. He looked over the permit and checked the number of stock on the waybill.
‘Have you a spare horse I could ride. I’d like to have a look at the stock to check the brands and earmarks.’
‘Yeah, I’ll get one of the kids to get you a quiet one.’ Harry replied. ‘Claire would you saddle up Trickle for the officer.’

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Claire left and after catching and saddling Trickle – a quiet bally brown mare, she led her back to camp and handed the reins to the officer. After finishing his tea the officer handed the cup to Rose and said, ‘thank you for your kind gesture. It’s the best cup of tea I’ve had for awhile. I love tea when it’s brewed in a billy. The taste is just like the bush.’
Without hesitation he swung into the saddle. ‘Are you joining me Harry?’ He asked.
‘Yeah, I’ll show you around.’ Harry joined the officer and rode beside him whilst the inspection was carried out. Harry was pleased he never picked up any stray cattle along the track for from his observation he saw the officer knew his job and would’ve spotted a stray beast a mile away in the mob.
After inspecting the mob they returned to the camp.
‘They’re fine. I’ll sign and date your waybill and I’ll be on my way. You have a good trip and it was nice to meet you both.’ The officer signed the waybill adding the date he inspected the mob, bid farewell and drove away from the camp.
The remainder of the trip to Clifton Hills was uneventful as compared to the whole trip from Bulloo Downs. After Harry handed the cattle over to the manager, he asked if he could leave some of his horses on the property. Unless Greg decided to drove them back to Cunnamulla which would take another twelve months or more – it was easier to give the plant to the station. The manager agreed.
Harry bid the manager farewell on receiving payment for the drove. His wage was the largest he had ever received for a job and now he needed to be careful because he didn’t know when the next trip would be.
With Falcon and Dusty safely tied in the rear compartment of the back of the truck, the dogs safely locked in their boxes, the children including Greg all gathered at the top of the back of the truck, Harry left Clifton Hills for their return to Cunnamulla.

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Chapter 16

It was good to be home again in their little bungalow in Cunnamulla. Work needed to be done to extend the home to make it liveable for the family of twelve children. The twins were now walking and talking, Annie continued to grow each day and eventually she learned to improve walking by standing straighter and even at times competed with the other children in running and playing.
Harry continued droving but the trips become less and less.
On one of his final trips he had a mob of sheep taking them from Coongoola to Cunnamulla. One night they were camped about ten miles north of Cunnamulla.
He was enjoying a smoke sitting around the camp fire when a flash looking car pulled up to the camp. To his surprise it was the Premier of Queensland - Joh Bjelke-Petersen who stepped from the vehicle. Harry had seen his photograph in newspapers and saw him at the pictures when they had the newsreel.
‘How are you today?’ The Premier said.
Harry sat on a log near the fire and this person came up to him offered his hand to shake, ‘I’m the Premier of Queensland, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, I’m out this way to have a look at the country. May I join you?’
Harry stood and shook his hand, ‘Yeah, okay – do you want a cup of tea or somethin.’ He asked. Harry was nervous and never before spoke to or had in his presence a person such as the Premier of Queensland.
‘Yes, a cup of tea would be lovely.’ The Premier replied.
‘Rose, this is the Premier of Queensland – I didn’t quite get his name, but would you get him a cup of tea.’ He said to Rose.
‘Please to meet ya Premier,’ Rose replied. ‘How do you have it?’

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‘Milk and one sugar thank you. Hope it’s not too much trouble.’ The Premier finished.
‘What about your driver. Does he want a cuppa too?’ Rose asked.
‘Bill, do you want a cuppa with these lovely folk?’
‘Yes please,’ he replied alighting from the vehicle.
‘And how do you have your tea?’ Rose directed the question to the driver.
‘Black and strong – thank you.’
After everyone sat around the camp drinking their tea the Premier said, ‘what are you doing here?’
‘Droving these sheep to Cunnamulla.’ Harry replied thinking why he asked a stupid question, obviously he saw the sheep in the brake.
‘Do you love droving?’ The Premier asked.
‘It’s my whole life.’ Harry replied.
‘You know road transport is taking over droving.’ The Premier implied.
Harry knew road transport was moving more stock and probably would be in the future but he had no control over that only he had sufficient work to keep him going.
‘Yeah, there’s not too many left like us anymore.’ He told The Premier.
‘Hopefully, I’ll get you away from all this.’ He said.
Harry felt a pain drive from the bottom of his stomach directly to his mind – shock - on hearing these words from the Premier of the State. He didn’t know what to say, if he had a crystal ball he might have known what the Premier was talking about.
They said their farewells and the Premier thanked them for their hospitality and left.
‘What do you think he meant by that?’ Rose asked Harry when the car left the camp.
‘I haven’t a clue. I suppose him being the Premier he would know what’s going on better than we do. I’d like to