This year our property Murki celebrates 120 years of Alexander ownership. In the kamilaroy language Murki means leopardwood tree. The leopardwood has a distinctive speckled bark and is prolific on our land so hence the naming. To celebrate this 120 year milestone I have decided to share some of the many amazing items that make up what is fondly called the ‘Alexander Archives’. Every month I’ll be taking you inside the history of our property and showing you some unique pieces of history, whether it be books, letters, collectabiles or station buildings/particular areas. First off is a much loved and well-read edition of the iconic Man from Snowy River by Banjo Patterson. Out in the bush many things, from food through to saddlery items were ordered via a mail order catalogue and if small in size delivered by horseback to the property in question (otherwise the goods were crated on the North-west mail from Anthony Hordern’s department store in Sydney to the village of Garah the closest rail siding. Garah is about 40 minutes drive from our property). This copy of The Man from Snowy River sat inside a saddle-bag wrapped in brown paper and twine and was carried the fourteen kilometres from the village of Boomi to the property Mona where my paternal great-grandparents once resided. My great-grandfather is buried on Mona. The book (pictured) is bound in calf leather with gold tooled lettering and is a second edition dated 1911. Apparently it was the second copy my great-grandparents purchased as their first, a first edition from the late 1890s fell to pieces through use!