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Expeditions
and Searches - 1937 to Present-Day
Search 3 - November
1938:
The Mercury newspaper
of the 4th November 1938 (p. 10) outlines the arrangements being made for
the third major search: |
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"Arrangements for the search to be instituted for Tasmanian tigers were
outlined by the Attorney-General (Mr. E. T. Ogilvie) yesterday. The
Minister stated that the Fauna Board proposed to make an inspection of
country about the headwaters of Jane River and Raglan Range for traces
of the tiger. The Tasmanian tiger was of no industrial importance,
but was an animal of great scientific interest, and was not found outside
Tasmania. It was an animal which had created interest, not only among
Australian scientists, but among biologists and zoologists in other parts
of the world. The Government was according its |
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| support to the Fauna Board in its endeavour
to afford the few remaining tigers as much protection as practicable, in
the interests of science. During last November, the Board despatched
a party to examine likely country for the tiger in vicinity of Raglan Range
and the headwaters of the Franklin River. The party was successful
in finding tiger tracks in 10 different places, and believed that they
were made by at least four animals. It was the Board's intention
to examine the country immediately |
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Rock Island Bend, Franklin
River, Tasmania.
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to the south
of the area previously investigated, and plans had been made for a search
party to leave Hobart on or about November 12 for the Jane River field.
This area would be made the headquarters of the party during the expedition,
which was likely to occupy about 10 days. The party would comprise
Troopers Fleming and Boyd and Constable Royle, and Mr. M. R. S. Sharland,
of Sydney, who had been nominated by the New South Wales Royal Zoological
Society. Mr. H. I. Kay, district engineer of the Public |
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| Works Department at Queenstown, was
cooperating in guidance and transport, and Messrs. A. Best and C. Gordon,
of Jane River, would assist. If the search proved satisfactory, the
Government would give consideration to representations that - the Fauna
Board might make for the preservation of tigers in the locality". |
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| The departure of the
third expedition is noted in the Mercury of the 12th November 1938 (p.
17):
"Fingerprints of
the Tasmanian tiger will be sought by the expedition which will leave Hobart
today for the western part of Tasmania in search of one of the rarest and
most primitive of Australian marsupials, the Tasmanian thylacine, as it
is known to science. Once common throughout the State, it is now
confined to the most remote parts of Tasmania, and is considered to be
making its last stand against advancing settlement. An effort will
be made to preserve it from extinction, and one of the objects of the expedition
is to determine how many of the animals are still alive and the district
which they inhabit in greatest numbers. |
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The expedition has been organised by the Tasmanian Animals and Birds Protection
Board, and accompanying it will be three police troopers equipped with
material for making casts of the animals' footprints in the event of these
being found.
By this means it
is hoped to determine the number of animals inhabiting a particular area,
for the casts will, be brought back and |
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A thylacine at the Beaumaris
Zoo (probably at the QD site).
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| examined by a specialist, who may be
able to say if they belong to different animals. The clay-like soil
along the banks of rivers is said to leave an excellent impression of the
footprints of all but the smallest kinds of game. The expedition
will make its headquarters at the Jane River at the foothills of the Frenchman's
Cap, one of the highest mountains in Tasmania. The site is about
150 miles from Hobart off the West Coast Rd. The Investigation is
expected to occupy about 10 or 12 days, and considerable interest in the
project is being shown by scientific societies in Australia and abroad.
The naturalist of the party is Mr. M. S. R. Sharland, of Sydney, formerly
a member of the literary staff of The Mercury, who is representing the
Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, and is a guest of the Animals
and Birds Protection Board. The other members of the party will be
Troopers A. Fleming, R. G. Boyd, and Constable J. H. Royle. The expedition
will be met at the Jane River turn-off by Messrs. A. Best and C. Gordon". |
In a letter to the Chairman
of the Birds & Animals Protection Board, Fleming writes:
"Starting from the
West Coast Road on the 13th November, 1938, we travelled to a hut called
'Middle Dump', built in a valley south of Frenchman's Cap, and known as
Calder's Pass. Here we camped for the night and on the following
morning, the 14th, climbed to the top of Calder's Pass and descended into
the Thirkells Creek Valley where we found tracks of the thylacine and obtained
plaster
casts of the same. |
