["A Voice From Derby", The Sunday Times (Perth, WA), Sunday 10 January 1915, page 11]
A Voice From Derby--
Freezing Works and Mining
...
And yet Derby is well within the State of Western Australia, and we are greatly interested in what is being done up there, and a chat with Mr. W. H. Coleman, now in Perth, presented some new views.
...
"You see, I've got the Federal Downs cattle station out there, and I didn't bother to do any prospecting, although I am interested in mining."
Beef is the best reef?
"Oh! I don't know. Beef is all right, but we want freeing works at Derby.".
At Derby?
"Yes, the proper place for them, particularly now that freezing works are being established at Port Darwin. What is the use of having them at Wyndham? all the stock on the South Australian side of the border and much of it on this side will now go to Darwin. Nothing surer. Therefore Wyndham hasn't got the supply of cattle to justify spending the large sum of money on freezing works there.
What about all the enormous country west and south-west of Wyndham?
"Well, the quarantine line cuts off the larger portion of it. None of the cattle, on the Derby and southern side of the quarantine line can go to Wyndham, because they would enter the cattle tick zone and would become affected. I wouldn't send stock to Wyndham."
But is there enough stock behind Derby to justify works there?
"Yes, plenty. There is all the country west and south of the quarantine line and away at the back of Broome. Certainly it would be folly to erect freezing works at Wyndham to compete with Darwin."
Why don't you bring this view before the Government?
"I have. When I pointed out the position to Mr. Johnson he admitted that it deserved consideration."
Well, you want a mining revival to stimulate the West Kimberley country.
"No doubt it would do a lot."
