William Harold Tatlock, labourer, Darwin, sworn and examined,
stated that he had travelled ever a good deal of what was termed "desert country". He was famliar with the spinifex country in the N.W. of W.A., and he thought the spinifex country south of the Camfield River in the N.T. to be equal to anything around Port Headland district, including the whole of tbe De Grey River, which was principally sheep country. The spinifex was Udiva spinifex.¹ All the spinifex was not of the Udiva variety, but much of it was flat leaved, which was always good. Stock thrived on it, and horses would work on it. This country was poorly watered as respects surface waters, but he believed water could be got by sinking, and that the country was suitable for occupation. He had travelled through this country for 150 miles in a S.E. direction from the head of the Camfield River.² The country was generally level and the soft a sandy loam. The only rock seen was an occasional outcrop of limestone. He did not think there would be much trouble in putting a railway through this country. None of the country was what could be called desert. He had been 10 years in the Territory. He favoured the direct N. to S. line, with branch lines to the east and west; in the latter case he thought it would be of advantage to build a line to connect with the present Marble Bar railway from Port Headland. There had been a good scheme formulated for a transcontinental railway from Port Headland to Bourke, and in the western part this would through a considcrable amount of good country.

OBITUARY
MR. W. H. TATLOCK

A well-known resident of the northern mining areas, Mr. William Harold Tatlock, of Moody- street, Mareeba, died on Monday morning at the Cairns Base Hospital, aged 76, after a long illness. He was born at Casterton, (Victoria), and while still a youth, went to West Australia to work on the goldfields. In 1906 he went north to Darwin, working on several cattle stations, and was married there. He went to Chillagoe in 1926, where he took up land. He retired in 1947, to live in Mareeba. He leaves a widow, two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren.
The funeral moved from St. John's Church of England at 11 o'clock yesterday morning, and was well attended. Rev. Copp officiated.

© 2012 David Nash
Created 21 March 2012
Modified 30 March 2012

URL http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/1907-WHTatlock.html