The 20th of August 1996 was the 30th Anniversary of the finish of the amazing 1966 "West-East Crossing of Australia Expedition".

This, and other expeditions of the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, make an interesting contrast to the Camel Races. A documentary 16mm film and a book (hardcover and softcover) of this adventure brought The Leyland Brothers to prominence and set them on a path to many achievements. They hand made many films, books and TV shows and ended up showing just about every natural attraction existing in Australia (over 20 years of work). They were sponsored by different vehicle (and boat) makers through the years, but all the ground breaking trips used Land-Rovers.

Another famous Aussie photographer and traveller from this period was Jeff Carter. Jeff had done many miles in Land-Rovers (from the late 1950's to the 1980's) and was the main 'rival' for the Leylands (outback adventure & photography publishing). Jeff used a Series 2 LWB Ute, then a 2A LWB Hardtop, then a late Series 2A LWB Wagon, and then a Range Rover. Interest spread to television (The Leyland's TV series were over several years) and the later Australian 'adventure and natural wonder' TV shows. There was Harry Butler's In The Wild (excellent ABC series), and then, in the Bi-centenial period, The Bush Tucker Man series with Les Hiddins (again excellent ABC - again Land-Rover: a pattern emerges??) The upshot is that all Australian school libraries have accumulated a shelf full of these adventurers books and videos - and it is a very good thing they have (IMHO). The advent and popularity of Dick Smith's 'Australian Geographic' would seem to be helped in large part by all the above books and TV that 'ploughed the ground' over the years.

As far as I can tell, the 1966 West-East Crossing by Leyland Brothers Films (run on a shoestring budget) was one of the earliest. The expedition's success meant that more sponsorship and more expeditions followed... and by 1978, the Golden Press Publishers had put out three large format full colour books of the Channel Nine TV Series: Off The Beaten Track (1974), Further Off The Beaten Track (1975) and Discover Australia (1978). These expeditions were all done with Land-Rovers (plus trikes, a 'Mule' ATV, and dingys).

Details from The West-East Crossing 1966:

It took 36 months of dreaming, planning and trials: this trip was a first.

It began May 3rd 1966 at Steep Point near Shark Bay WA (the most western point of the Australian mainland -Indian Ocean). It finished August 20th 1966 at Cape Byron NSW (the eastern most point -Pacific Ocean).

Waypoints along the 26th parallel included Meekatharra, Wiluna, Carnegie, Gibson and Stony Deserts, Giles, Ayers Rock, Finke, Andado, Simpson's Desert (crossing took 22 days, 1105 sand ridges) Birdsville, Windorah, Cunnamulla, Goondiwindi, Lismore.

Vehicles:

• a 1963 petrol 88" Land-Rover hard top (9.00x16 aero sand tyres)
• a 1958 petrol 6 cylinder Station wagon (Michelin Sahara 7.50-16, capstan winch, HF radio, safari roof). It was brought second-hand from the Commonwealth (ex-Northern Territory.)
• a 1966 Bridgestone 90 Mountaineer motorcycle.
• a heavy duty (overloaded) 4 wheel trailer, hand built with Land-Rover parts.
• Note... in August 1965, a year before the expedition reached its destination at Byron Bay, the 1958 Station wagon conveyed them to Birdsville and the eastern Simpson Desert on a tyre type trial. It needed an engine rebuild on its return. The 1963 unit has Army style guards front and rear, front jerry bar (very neat) and rear tool box on tailgate. Both units and the trailer were red with sign writing.
• Note... no roof racks, no GPS, no factory sponsorship, no prizemoney.

The book:

• Title: Where Dead Men Lie
• Authors: Mike & Mal Leyland.
• Sponsors: Kodak, McCulloch (Yamaha Importer), Oak Dairy Co-op
• Publishing: Hard cover (with 28 colour pics & maps). Publ. Lansdowne Press 1967 (Typeset in Newcastle, printed in Hong Kong -pre ISBN) 24 chapters, 196 pages. Paperback issued also (with 22 colour pics & maps). The paperback I have was presented to me at school in 1972: "Equal 1st in Asian Studies" (incongruous/ironic to be given Australiana!) "This Walkabout Pocketbook edition first published in the British Commonwealth in 1970 by Ure Smith. Copyright 1967 by Mike and Mal Leyland." Printed in Japan (that must be the Asian Studies content!) 24 chapters, 196 pages.
• Hmmm page 194: "A startling number of breakdowns (mainly on the older vehicle) was both surprising and annoying, but a thorough understanding of the vehicles by the mechanic and the added safety of the second vehicle lessened the possibility of a disaster. Any one of the breakdowns could have been a major catastrophy to anyone with no mechanical knowledge..."
• Hmmm page 143: "we were sick of broken diffs". (Simpson Desert)

PS: They passed thru "Woodlie" sheep station 450,000 acres.(!) It was raining at Ayers Rock when they got there.

PPS: The Leyland's home-town is our own Hunter Valley, NSW.