Nevill and Greg were 65 miles from Wave Hill when they used up the last of their precious patches. They soon developed another flat tyre and had to resort to filling the tube with grass and leaves to keep them going. The vegetation quickly turned to dust, and when they punctured another tube they gave up and walked the last six miles to the station.
Mr Egan, the station manager, kindly drove them back to the car in the morning, but as the station had no patches either, Nevill tried substituting strips of cowhide for the tubes. This was a spectacular failure as the heat and friction just cooked the hide. It’s no wonder it took them two days to travel a mere 60 miles.
They arrived at the Pigeon Hole one evening and the next day borrowed two horses and carried their worn and patched tyres to Victoria Downs Station, hoping to find some way of mending them. The manager loaned them a vulcaniser and Nevill managed to fix three old Ford tyres, as well as one of his own.
They rode back to Pigeon Hole and set off again. Their troubles weren’t over but they had no choice but to battle on as best they could until they reached Emungalan, which is today part of Katherine. Here they gave up and decided to catch the train to Darwin – a wise move. 1.
The train trip was pure luxury as they sped along the tracks, no doubt giving thanks they were not battling the dirt tracks in poor little Bubsie.
In Darwin they discovered that Mrs Porter, the wife of the Mayor, was an Adventist. 2. She was delighted to meet them as she had been isolated in her faith for so long. In 1932 Mr Porter wrote to the Record: “Some years ago I met Mr. Westwood in Darwin, when I learned that he was an S.D.A. missionary. I said to him, ‘ There is only one S.D.A. in the Northern Territory. Come inside and I will introduce you.’ He came in and I introduced him to my wife. His long talks with her on several occasions gave her extreme pleasure.” 3.
Mr Porter realised then that his wife longed for the fellowship of other Adventists, and transferred to Sydney, where Mrs Porter “found wonderful satisfaction in the friendship of many Seventh-day Adventist people in the Illawarra suburbs of Sydney.” 4.
In 1931 the steamer Malabar, en route from Melbourne to Singapore, ran into heavy fog near the coast. The captain gave an order to turn 5 degrees to starboard, but the helmsman misunderstood and turned the ship 5 degrees to port, running the steamer into the rocks at Maroubra. Everyone on board survived the disaster, but the steamer broke apart in the heavy seas.
Over 300,000 people rushed to view the wreck over the weekend, and Mrs Porter and her sister were among the crowds. Mr Porter was of the opinion that the excitement was too much for her as she collapsed on the station platform on the way home and was unable to be revived.
Mr Porter ended his letter:” In conclusion I can only express to you what I know my wife thought, namely, her high appreciation of the great work being done by your organisation, and the kindly thoughts and prayers of your people. I have the honour to be, though not a follower, at least your grateful friend.” 5.
Incidentally, residents of the suburb of Long Bay drew up a petition to rename their suburb Malabar in memory of the famous wreck. The name became official in 1933. 6.
REFERENCES:
- Letter to Sister. October 11, 1925.
- Australasian Record Article. December 14, 1925. Vol Vol 29 No 50.
- Australasian Record Letter to the Editor. May 16, 1932. Vol 36 No 21.
- Australasian Record Letter to the Editor. May 16, 1932. Vol 36 No 21.
- Australasian Record Letter to the Editor. May 16, 1932. Vol 36 No 21.
- Malabar. Retrieved from https://raywhitecentennialpark.com.au/malabar
