["Through The Nor'-West", The West Australian, Tuesday 22 September 1914, page 5]
THROUGH THE NOR'-WEST.
EFFECTS OF WAR AND DROUGHT.
MR. CURLEWIS INTERVIEWED.
Mr. E. B. Curlewis, divisional officer of the Perth Weather Bureau, who has just returned from a trip to the north-west and Port Darwin, made some interesting observations to a representative of the "West Australian" yesterday regarding the combined effects of war and drought in the northern areas of the State. The primary object of the trip was to conduct a meteorological inspection of the various departmental stations. Mr. Curlewis left Fremantle on July 29 last, before the war broke out, and it was not till Sharks Bay was reached that the first intimation of hostilities was received. The mission involved calls at Geraldton, Carnarvon, Onslow, Port Hedland, Marble Bar, Nullagine, Condon, Broome, Derby, Wyndham, and Port Darwin. So far as the effects of the war are concerned, Mr. Curlewis says that Broome has felt the position most keenly, a number of pearling fleets having been rendered idle. "Broome," he remarked, "has no industries inland to support her, and the effect of reduced pearling operations has been to force many people to leave the town. Things are very dead, for there is no sale for the pearlshell. Some of the big firms are continuing operations, but directly the war broke out all the Broome merchants stopped credit.
...
