Williams Brian (Willie) Camaleer

**Fast Facts**
Type of person	Individual

Brian (Willie) Williams, Cameleer worked for and with “Sheik of Arrow Creek” Gordon Hampel of Kapunda. Brian or better known as Willie was selected for the camel trek from Darwin to Adelaide celebrating the Bi-Centenary of Australia (1988) , and commemorating the erection of the Telegraph line through central Australia. The 6 month long trek involving the NT and SA Police began in late 1987 . Willie’s task was to train both the Camels and the Police officers for the arduous trek to Adelaide from Alice Springs travelling down the Oodnadatta track ,through the Finke, thru Hawker, Quorn, Port Augusta , up Horrocks Pass to Melrose, Clare and onto Gawler and then Adelaide . He spoke of having to trap wild camels on the way down to replace camels that had damaged their pads on the rough rocky tracks and could not be fully laden with supplies ( they were more suited for sandy terrain), picking up camels at Alice Springs , Todmorden station and Kulgera Station . At Hawker museum he spotted some old Camel boots on display and borrowed them to make copies for his camels, a big success he said. He also made the Saddles and pack saddles for the trek some of which are in the Police museum, Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort stock agents donated the leather and tools to make them in the day Brian has done many other treks with camels ( including a trek from farthest East to farthest West) and many exhibitions and parades, from Christmas festivals in Gawler, Australia parades down King William Street Adelaide and many others Earlier In 1979, he had practiced his passion with a 5 day camel trek with friend Ron ( Camel ) Hassan starting in Kapunda thru Nuriootpa , Angaston, Springton, Eden Valley, Williamstown Lyndoch to Cockatoo Valley and then on to Gawler where a photo was also taken in front of the shop now part of Victory Square car park in Murray street