Nevill Westwood was just
twenty-two, and Greg Davies a couple of years older when they started out on their epic journey into the vast outback of Australia. They set off on their adventure from Perth on 4 August 1925, full of enthusiasm and confident they were doing God’s work.

They first travelled along stock routes to Meekatharra and then on to Marble Bar, a trip that was known as Australia’s longest Overland Mail route. It was a 1,950 km round trip, and usually took 8 ½ days, but if there was rain it could take up to 19 days. 

John K. Ewers went on the mail run for fun in 1935 and gave a good description of the journey: “During those long miles of sweeping plains and rugged hills, I felt somehow that I was nearer the real heart of Australia than I had ever been before. Bogs, blowouts, a broken gear-box, stations, gold mines in lonely places, sheep, cattle, horses, vast brooding solitude, camels, mules, dry river beds and spinifex,  always spinifex – such is the country through which the track runs.” 1

He went on to describe the isolated country, the sixty-two gates they had to open and close at the Mount Fraser homestead, and “the myriads of mosquitoes, midges, moths and beetles and every flying and crawling thing” 2.  they had to contend with at night.

This was what Nevill and Greg had to contend with, but they endured it all cheerfully, stopping at stations along the way to sell books. They were usually invited to stay the night at the stations, which they were very pleased to do. 

They had a scare just after they left Mundiwindi. Nevill writes: “A big mob of cattle became curious and started following us at a gallop. Petrol ran out. Greg made a dive to start unlocking his bag to get his revolver, but as I knew they were only following us out of mere curiosity I didn’t worry. Putting in some more petrol I soon had the ‘bus’ started again.” 3

From Marble Bar they drove to Jasper Bar where they had a refreshing swim, and then onto Condon, which they reached around 9.30pm. This was the beginning of the Madman’s Track, a stretch of track notorious for its harsh conditions and lack of suitable drinking water. 4

Few travel this road now, but it was the path that prospectors had to trek in the hope of striking it rich during the gold rush of 1887-1888. They either trudged the dusty track or rode horses or camels. Those with more money very wisely travelled by boat from Port Headland
to Broome.

Nevill drove the 515 km between Pardoo Station and Broome, but it was slow going. The rough, rutted cattle track through the scrub and desert slowed the little Citroen down to a near walking pace, and they had to often stop and clear the track of boulders, branches and other debris. They bought fuel from farmers along the way to keep the little car going, but it was a hazardous journey.

The track, with its harsh, barren conditions and lack of water, had been a nightmare trip to prospectors, and some had died along the way. It was dubbed the Madman’s Track and people joked that if someone wasn’t already crazy to travel the Madman’s Track, he certainly was by the time he finished! 5

But Nevill and Greg didn’t consider themselves crazy. They were on a mission for God and they knew He would care for them. They didn’t know the disaster that lay just ahead of them!

REFERENCES:

1. Ewers, John K. With Mail to Marble Bar. 1935. Retrieved from https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/with-mail-to-marble-bar/
2. Ewers, John K. With Mail to Marble Bar. 1935. Retrieved from https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/with-mail-to-marble-bar/
3. Westward Letters, 13 August 1925.
4. Letter to Mother. August 29, 1925.
5. Riley, David. The Madman’s Track. Retrieved from https://reverentialramblings.com/2021/06/29/the-madmans-track/