History of Mt Bundy
Fred Hardy, founder of Mt Bundy Station
Hubert Hardy, better known as Fred Hardy, first worked at Humpty Doo and Marrakai Stations before starting his own station – Mount Bundy.
He was keen on horse racing, always riding his own horses, many of them winners at bush meetings and major events in the Top End including a win on Salidon at the Pine Creek Cup.
Fred lost more than 300 cattle and 15 horses to floods during the 1916 wet season, when the highest recorded rainfall fell in the Top End at the time, causing widespread flooding.
In 1928, Fred caught six buffalo calves for Vestey’s for trial export to the Philippines to be raised as beasts of burden.Fred also caught young buffaloes like this for Taronga Zoo in Sydney and a zoo in Melbourne.
In 1937 he sold the station to Wyatt and Gregory and moved to Perth to retire.
But Fred soon got homesick for the Territory and returned a year later and bought Goodparlor Station, as well as working the station, once again indulged his passion for racing horses.
Established in 1911 the original property was 834 square miles. With its boundaries located within both, the now world famous, Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks.
The first lessee were brothers Frank and Hubert Fred Hardy, colourful and infamous buffallo hunters. The property was abundant with wild buffalo that had bred up on the floodplains of the Adelaide River and Mary River.
Hardy led a tough life hunting buffalo on horseback with a team of aboriginal stockmen and women and processed the buffalo for the lucrative hide market in Europe.
Fred Hardy was tragically killed in a horse race on the property in 1940 at the age of 59yrs. He is buried on a hill overlooking his beloved Mt Bundy Station.
The Japanese Bombing of Darwin in 1942 saw a military change to the property as the forces withdrew to Adelaide River as the frontline of defence during World War II.
The American navy developed a signalling site to warn of incoming submarines and the Australians and Americans based their airforce at Mt Bundy station with numerous hidden airfields repairing the damaged Bombers.
Remnants of this war history remain and can be viewed on the property.
Adelaide River became the logistics headquarters of the Australian and American Defence Forces following the bombing of Darwin in February 1942.
No.1 Airfield Construction Sqn RAAF built an airfield. There were army units, No13 Salvage Company; a Bulk Issue Petrol and Oil Depot; No17 Line of Communication Signals Unit as well a Field Stores Depot.
The 119th Australian General Hospital was moved south to Adelaide River. Tent wards, administration, mess halls and accommodation were all built of canvas construction walls that were rolled up to catch any cooling breezes, making it the only hospital in Australia completely under canvas.
To help service the 107th and 119th Australian General Hospitals, rail sidings were built at the town station to serve ambulance or ‘hospital’ trains that brought wounded personnel to them.
Adelaide River also has the main War Cemetery in the Northern Territory. Identical welcome plaques are located at the north and south entrances to the township.
ALBEN Perrett bought Mt Bundy Station in 1951 and with his Aboriginal workers, would shoot 2000 buffalo a year for hides only, salt and dry, then send to Africa and Turkey.
Alben Perrett travelling to Darwin 1951 to buy cattle, he ended buying Mt Bundy Station.
Here’s a look into the life of Alben Perrett, written by his grandson, GARY RICHARDS.
ALBEN Perrett bought Mt Bundy Station in 1951 and with his Aboriginal workers, would shoot 2000 buffalo a year for hides only, salt and dry, then send to Africa and Turkey.
Alben received help from Primary Industries in his projects to commence an abattoir and export buffalo meats.
At the same time Alben owned the Darwin Meat Supply, the largest butcher shop in Darwin: 12 butchers, a normal week was 80 bodies of beef, 60 lamb, 30 pigs, four vealers, wages for a butcher was $1.20 per hour.
During the early years Alben and his daughters would shoot crocodiles for skins. All this was seasonal as in the wet there was no access.
Alben then leased two grazing licences: Cannon Hill and Jim Jim. They later became Kakadu National Park and 1964 they where given back to the government.
I have many fond memories:
Year One, Adelaide River Primary school 1960 and the war cemetery — one of the nicest well kept cemeteries in Australia. I can remember mustering cattle as a five-year-old, finding several large live ammunition dumps, live bombs, live anti-aircraft bullets — everywhere they mustered cattle. We where always careful.
Alben's right hand man Robin
Shooting crocs
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Haynes Road Adelaide River NT 0846
Ph: 0447 738 006
Email: mtbundy@cartersretail.com