Allan McCulloch operating the two-way radio on the Eureka during the journey up the Fly River to Lake Murray Western Province, November 1922

Lake Murray was not under government control at the time of Hurley's visit. The Lieutenant Governor provided Hurley with guns and ammunition from the government store in case they were attacked. This precaution proved unnecessary, for the expedition did not need to defend itself. The only time that Hurley and McCulloch fired the guns was to shoot animals for food or for their natural history collection.