Alfred Canning

He is best known as the originator of the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia, a cattle track running 1,850 kilometres (1,150 mi) through remote desert country between Halls Creek and Wiluna.

He was educated at Carlton College in Melbourne before joining the New South Wales Lands Department as a cadet in the survey branch.

Canning is best known for surveying a stock route for bringing cattle 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) overland from the Kimberley district to the goldfields in 1906 and 1907.

He returned the following year to commence construction of 51 wells which were set one days march (20 kilometres or 12 miles) apart to feed travelling livestock.

"It was necessary at times to use chains on our guides but we padded them to make sure they did not chafe the men's necks...they were happy with the arrangement.