Australian History: Australian Explorers
After the troubles and hardships of the early years, the adminstration were pushing to find out more
about what lay beyond the shores and coastline of Australia. Explorers were encouraged by Governors
to map out and find out what the central landscape of Australia was like. Many expeditions were made
and great discoveries of new found land were mapped out. Some of the great Australian explorers are
discussed here. Some expeditions end in tragedy like Burke and Wills but in all they were great pioneers
in shaping Australia.
Australian History: Bass and Flinders
George Bass and Matthew Flinders were the last of the great maritime explorers
of the Australian coastline. In a number of voyages, they helped to map out the
shape of the Australian continent and the island of Tasmania. Bass (1771 - 1803)
was born in England and became an apprentice surgeon while he was a teenager.
At 18 he joined the British Royal Navy and in 1795 he sailed to New South Wales
as the ship's doctor on board HMS Reliance where he first met Matthew Flinders.
Flinders (1774 – 1814) was born in England and joined the British Royal Navy when
he was 15. At the age of 20 he boarded HMS Reliance as the Midshipman, or the
master's mate. The two young men both shared a great interest in navigation and
maritime exploration.
George Bass
The Reliance arrived in Sydney in September 1795 and Bass and Flinders immediately made
preparations to explore. Bass had brought with him from England a rowing boat less than three metres
long. He named in Tom Thumb after the tiny fairytale character. After just a few weeks of preparation,
they sailed south to Botany Bay and explored the Georges River. They returned nine days later and
reported to Governor Hunter which led to the establishment of a settlement on the Georges River,
which was named Bankstown.
In their second journey they sailed again, in a small boat supplied by the governor. They survived rough
waves to continue south to Shellharbour and on returning they discovered and named Port Hacking.
In the next year they sailed to Cape Town to pick up supplies and later Bass sailed with six sailors
southward to Western Port in Victoria. They actually went around the south-eastern tip of the continent
and almost sailed through the strait now known as Bass Strait, but returned as their supplies were
running out. Bass was certain that Van Diemans’ Land, as Tasmania was known then, was separated
from the mainland which he concluded by the tides he encountered, but he had not yet proved it.
In 1799 the Norfolk sailed out of Port Jackson with Flinders in command and Bass next in authority.
During their expedition they sailed along the northern coast of Van Diemens' land, southwards along its
west coast, then north again up the east coast before returning to Sydney. On the north coast of the
island Bass and Flinders rowed up the Tamar River almost to where Launceston now stands and on
Christmas Day they climbed to the top of t Mount Wellington which now overlooks Hobart, Tasmania’s
capital. Bass was also a keen naturalist and made detailed studies of birds and other native animals he
encountered. The strait of water that separated the mainland with Tasmania was named Bass Strait by
Governor Hunter.
Bass then resigned from the Royal Navy to start sailing trading vessels. In February 1803 he left Sydney
on a voyage to Chile in South America but after his ship the Venus, sailed out of Sydney Harbour neither
it, its crew nor its captain was ever seen or heard from again. George Bass’ disappearance remains a
mystery today.
Australian History: Burke and Wills
Robert O’Hara Burke was born in 1821 in Ireland. He migrated to Tasmania in
1853 and because he had some police experience, he decided he would do better
in Victoria. William ‘Jack’ Wills was born in England in 1834 and studied medicine
with his father. He migrated to Australia and landed at Port Phillip in 1853. His
family followed soon after and settled in Ballarat.
Robert O'Hara Burke
William John Wills studied surveying and astronomy and this led him to being
offered the position as Burke’s deputy. Much of what we know of the expedition
comes from a diary kept by Wills and it appears that Burke was an arrogant man who put little value on
the lives of the men who made up his expedition.
William John Wills
The Great Northern Exploration Expedition was headed by Burke. This expedition was funded and
supported by the colonial government and the Royal Society and encouraged by financial support from
Melbourne people who had been made very rich due to the gold rush. Burke’s desire to gain acclaim,
despite his sad lack of skills and experience, led him to be chosen as leader of this new exploration into
inland Australia. The goal was to cross Australia from Melbourne up to the northern coastline. It was an
expedition that was judged to have failed even though the party did make the crossing. The expedition
departed Melbourne on 20th August 1860 and included George Landells, Burke’s second in command.
25 camels were imported for the trek as they were considered to be ideal for crossing the desert
country.
Upon arrival at Menindee on the Darling River, Burke planned to form a depot and leave most of his
men and supplies there. It was here that Burke and Landells argued and Landells went back to
Melbourne. After this, Burke appointed Wills his deputy and took a small party north to Cooper Creek.
They arrived in November and made camp. William Wright went back to bring the rest of the party. The
relationship between Burke and Wills was not an easy one.
Burke waited for six weeks at Cooper Creek for the rest of the party and growing more and more
impatient, he set out again before the return of his men. Four of them, Burke, Wills, King and Gray
headed north in December with enough supplies to last six weeks. They made it to the Gulf of
Carpentaria at the mouth of the Norman River in February. They should have stayed and rested longer,
but two days after they arrived, the four of them headed south on the return journey. Only three of
them staggered into the camp at Cooper Creek in mid April as one of them had died on the hard trail
back They were exhausted and starving and unfortunately arrived at the camp just seven hours after the
departure of the rest of the group southward. They had been ordered by Burke to wait for three months
and had waited five. Luckily some supplies had been left for them so they could regain some strength.
Burke now made a rash decision – instead of heading south to follow the main party, he with Wills and
King, foolishly headed towards Mount Hopeless and despite some help given to them by the Aboriginals,
their lack of skills in the bush meant they could not find any food or water. Wills perished by June and
two days later Burke died. King survived by interacting with the Aboriginals and was found by a rescue
party in September.
Painting by John Longstaff taken
from National Gallery of Victoria, called: Arrival of Burke, Wills and King at the deserted camp at
Cooper's Creek, Sunday evening, 21st April 1861.
Australian History: George Evans
George William Evans was born in Warwick, England on January 5, 1780 and died in
Hobart, Tasmania in October 16, 1852. He was a surveyor and an explorer who in
1815 was the first colonial explorer to enter the Lachlan River Valley, naming the
area the Oxley Plains after his superior the surveyor-general, John Oxley. He was
also the first explorer to explore the areas that are now the towns of Boorowa and
Cowra.
George Evans
When Evans arrived in Australia he decided to settle at Parramatta in 1802. The following year Governor
King appointed him Acting Surveyor-General in 1803. Having proved his abilities, he was made Assistant
Surveyor of lands at Hobart in 1812. Following the successful crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813, he
was recalled to Sydney and Governor Macquarie commissioned Evans to carry out explorations which
would build on the efforts of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. Macquarie was a great supporter of
development for the colony and wanted to make the most of the lands beyond the mountains.
With four companions, Evans followed the original route over the mountains to Mount Blaxland. On 18
November 1813 they began trekking along the Fish River through rugged country to its junction with the
Campbell River. He named the new stream Macquarie River, in honour of the Governor. He then
followed this river north-west over attractive, fertile plains. He reported enthusiastically to Macquarie
about the potential for this new country.
As a result of Evans’ exploration, Governor Macquarie ordered the construction of a road which
followed the paths of Evans and Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth. The new track was about 160
kilometres long and terminated at the new settlement of Bathurst, on the Macquarie River. Macquarie
had established Bathurst quickly to ensure he was able to control settlement of the new lands properly.
Six days later Evans began another expedition departing from Bathurst on 13 May 1815 and was
instructed by the Governor to explore westward until he reached the ocean – unknown to them that it
would be a rather long distance. His expedition led to the discovery of the Lachlan River which he also
named for the Governor. On 1 June 1815 he found himself running short of provisions and returned to
Bathurst where he arrived back on 12 June. This journey opened the way for later explorations, mainly
by John Oxley. Evans took part in some of Oxley’s expeditions.
In 1817 and 1818 he worked with John Oxley before returning to Van Diemen’s Land to resume his
surveying duties. In 1825 he was accused of receiving bribes from persons having business with his
department and after an argument with Governor Arthur on the issue, he resigned and returned to
England. Six years later he arrived back in Sydney to open up a book and stationery shop in Bridge
Street, Sydney. He was also a teacher at the King’s School. Sketches by him of early Sydney and Hobart
are in the Dixson gallery at Sydney.
Australian History: Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders returned to England in 1800 where he wrote and published a book
about his and Bass' explorations. Then in 1801 Flinders was put in charge of an
expedition to sail around the Australian coastline to chart those parts of it that were
still unknown. The Investigator set sail in July 1801 from England and first reached
Australia at the south western tip. It continued sailing close to the shore through
what is now called the Great Australian Bight. As Flinders sailed past the towering
cliffs that form much of Australia’s southern coastline, he imagined that there was a
vast inland sea in the middle of the continent. This theory later dominated
Australian land exploration. The Investigator then landed on a large island just south of the Spencer
Gulf. The crew found huge numbers of kangaroos which provided for some fresh meat.
Subsequently the island is now called Kangaroo Island. It finally made it to Sydney in 1802 where it
remained for repairs. It continued its expedition and completed its circumnavigation in almost 3 years.
After returning to Sydney in 1803, Flinders sailed for England as a passenger on a ship called the
Porpoise but the ship was wrecked on a coral reef off the Queensland coast. Flinders took control of the
ship's lifeboat and sailed to Sydney to get help for the shipwrecked passengers. He was given command
of a small schooner the Cumberland and set sail again. But as he crossed the Indian Ocean, the
Cumberland started to leak badly and Flinders was forced to dock in at the island of Mauritius which was
a French colony. At the time England and France was at war with each other and the French governor of
the island arrested Flinders as a spy and imprisoned him for six years.
Flinders eventually arrived back in England in 1810 at the age of 36, however his health was bad and he
only lived for another four years.
Australian History: Ernest Giles
Ernest Giles (1835 – 1897) helped to find out what lay in the vast areas of the
west. He was born on July 7, 1835 in England and first arrived in Adelaide from
England in 1850 at the age of 15 where he first began digging for gold without
success. He worked at various cattle and sheep stations where he developed his
bush skills and ended up in 1861 in the area around Menindee in western New
South Wales. In 1865 he explored the west of the Darling River in search of land
that was suitable for pastoral use.
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Ernest Giles
In 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide and Darwin was completed and stations built
along this line provided convenient starting places for expeditions to the west. Giles was asked to lead a
small expedition from the Charlotte Waters station near Chambers Pillar, and attempt to go overland to
Perth. The party followed the Finke River and discovered Palm Valley. Further on they were forced back
after encountering harsh deserts and a vast salt lake that Victorian governor Ferdinand von Mueller
insisted be named Lake Amadeus after the king of Spain.
In 1873 Giles with another explorer Tietkins began at Alberga Creek and again left for Perth. This time
they went further south but were stopped by harsh desert conditions. Giles named desert, Gibson
Desert, after a volunteer stockman travelling with them, Alfred Gibson, who got lost in the desert and
was never found.
In 1875 Giles most important expedition began from Beltana, north of Port Augusta. Giles took with him
camels instead of horses along with an Afghan camel driver who had experience in desert expeditions.
They trekked over the Great Victorian Desert, which Giles named after the British queen. The camels
proved to be vital as they would travel 350 kilometres without needing to drink. Their water levels dried
up and they backtracked in search of water. They were saved only by the skill of their Aboriginal guide
who managed to follow emu tracks to a spring. When they reached the present day town of Kalgoorlie,
they were attacked by a large band of Aborigines who dispersed only after the explorers fired at them.
They eventually reached some West Australian sheep stations and then headed into Perth.
After a long journey he still decided to return to South Australia by crossing the Gibson desert. Some of
his companions didn’t agree with this and returned by ship. Giles crossed the Gibson Desert and made it
back to the Overland Telegraph Line taking about 6months to cross. In 1897 Giles died after contracting
pneumonia whilst working as a clerk in the Coolgardie gold fields. He styled himself as "the last of the
Australian explorers."
Australian History: Hume and Hovell
Hamilton Hume (1797-1872) was born in Parramatta, New South Wales on 18
June 1797 and was the first Australian born explorer making many small
journeys from the age of a teenager before joining with William Hovell, an
English sea captain who was an exceptional navigator but had little bush skills. Hume had explored many
areas around Sydney travelling as far south as the plains around Yass. He was an expert bushman who
understood some Aboriginal languages. In 1824 the set out from Appin about 45km from Sydney and
were bound for Western Port, the port in Bass Strait that George Bass discovered in 1798. The objective
of the expedition was to find out what kind of landscape lay to the south of the Murrumbidgee River.
William Hovell
Together with four convict men, horses, bullocks and dogs, they carried enough
supplies to last 16 weeks. It was the first Australian expedition to use bullocks
and it was also the first to use an innovative odometer. Hovell had attached a
device to a baby pram’s wheel which, like a modern car’s odometer, was
designed to measure the distances travelled.
When they arrived at the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, they found that it
was flooded and couldn’t cross it by walking. Instead they crossed the river by
fixing a tarpaulin around the bottom of one of the carts and using it as a boat to ferry across the food
and equipment.
Crossing the river they entered unexplored territory fining the landscape to be mountainous and rugged.
The weather became hotter and swarms of flies, mosquitoes and pests tormented them, making the
expedition even more difficult. On November 8th, they caught site of the Australian Alps. Eight days
later they reached a river which they named ‘The Hume’ but is now called the Murray River after Charles
Sturt explored the full extent of the river. Near the Murray, at the place that is now Albury, the explorers
carved their names on a tree on 17 November 1824. The tree is still there, with a plaque duplicating the
carved words. The tree is called the Hovell Tree.
They crossed the river westward of where they were as the river was very wide and the water was clear
and deep. They penetrated further into crossing several major rivers, including the Ovens and the
Goulbourn. Just south of Goulbourn, they encountered mountains covered with thick bush that
scratched and tore at them. This mountain range was the very southern part of the Great Dividing
Range. They made their way to the top of a mountain and named it Mount Disappointment. Travelling
further they approached the coast whilst during this time admired the rich pasture lands they saw. In
the middle of December they arrived at a bay which Hovell thought was Western Port. But his
calculations were wrong as his pram measuring device had fallen apart. Where they actually were, was
Corio Bay, in the town of Geelong on the western side of Port Phillip Bay. Western Port was
100kilometers further east, towards Melbourne. They reached Corio Bay - the area of Port Phillip Bay
that Geelong now fronts - on 16 December 1824, and it was at this time they reported that the
Aborigines called the area Corayo, the bay being called Jillong. As supplies were running low, the
expedition set off for home the next day. They arrived back a month later and advised the governor of
the wonderful grazing land at Western Port.
Australian History: Thomas Mitchell
Major Thomas Mitchell was a very talented man. Aside from being a major in
the army he was a naturalist, a draughtsman and surveyor, a scholar and an
explorer. But he was known to be blunt and quick tempered and was often hard
to get along with. In 1827, Governor Darling decided to choose Charles Sturt
over Mitchell to lead an expedition to investigate the western rivers of New
South Wales. Mitchell could not contain his anger and referred to Sturt as an
‘amateur traveller’. Their relationship of dislike continued throughout the
1830s.
Thomas Mitchell
Mitchell’s first expedition was set out to verify claims made by an escaped convict who told stories of a
great river which flowed to the sea at the north of Australia. Mitchell encountered the Barwon River and
followed it thinking this was the great river stream, only to find that it flowed into another river – the
Darling, which Sturt had already discovered.
In 1835 Mitchell led another expedition from Orange this time to prove that the Darling flowed
northward and not, as Sturt believed, into the Murray. The party set up a stockade serving as a base
camp at the banks of the Darling which they called Fort Bourke after the governor. They followed the
Darling down to a point where Menindee now stands. Here they clashed with Aboriginals with two
Aboriginals shot. As there was no sign that the Darling was about to change direction and flow north and
Mitchell decided to return home.
In 1836 Mitchell went out again this time with 27 armed men in case of any attacks from Aboriginals.
They followed Lachlan River and found that it joined with the Murrumbidgee and a little bit further it
joined the Murray River. The following day he encountered a large group of Aboriginals which he
recognised as the same group that attacked him the previous year. He planned an ambush and attacked
them and gave the name of the hill at the attack, Mount Dispersion.
Soon after the party left and followed the Murray River southwards, where they reached a lagoon near
where the Loddon River joins the Murray and named it Swan Hill for the abundance of ‘swans and other
wild fowl’. He then climbed a mountain and in the region and named it Mount Hope. Looking to the
south-west he was so impressed with the countryside that he decided to venture into it. They reached a
mountain range which Mitchell named the Grampians after a range in his native Scotland.
They then reached Portland Bay in south-western Victoria where they found a docked ship and a
number of wooden houses. It turned out that the Henty brothers had come from Tasmania to set up a
farming enterprise. They entertained Mitchell and gave him supplies for his return journey.
Australian History: John Oxley
Oxley was born in England in the early part of 1781. In his youth he entered the
navy, saw active service in many parts of the world, and rose to the rank of
Lieutenant. He came to Australia in January, 1812, and was appointed SurveyorGeneral in the Royal Navy. In 1804-05 he conducted a survey of Westernport on
Bass Strait, among other duties in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land. He
sailed to England in 1810 for a brief visit. In 1812 he was appointed SurveyorGeneral of New South Wales.
John Oxley
In April 1815 he was with Macquarie when Bathurst was founded, and in March 1817 he was instructed
to take charge of an expedition to ascertain the course of the Lachlan River. He decided to take Evans
with him on his expeditions and left in April 1817, following the Lachlan River westwards. After about
100kilometres the party left the river banks, turning south-west. They moved across country, passing
through the area where Rankin Springs is now located. From here Oxley turned north-west, once more
coming to the Laclan River.
Much of the country was found to be swampy, and on 9 May the way was barred by a huge marsh.
Retracing their steps for some distance they then proceeded in a south-westerly direction, and on 20
May found themselves in very dry country. Hardly any water was available and what was found had to
be boiled twice before it was drinkable. For the next five weeks dense scrubby country was constantly
encountered and there was a great shortage of water. One of the horses died and another had to be
shot. It rained several times but this gave them little water; Oxley says in his journal that the soil
absorbed all the rain that fell like a sponge. They had travelled 1900 kilometres and found some
excellent grazing lands. Oxley told Macquarie, however that the western rivers flowed into useless
country. This comment greatly delayed further opening up of the far west.
Oxley’s next exploration began on 6 June 1818, again with George Evans as his deputy. The group
headed north-west along the Macquarie, following Evans’ original trek. Oxley’s path was again
frustrated by impenetrable marshes. The presence of these swamps led many people to think there was
a great sea in the centre of the continent. Oxley then dispatched Evans across country to the north-east
where Evans discovered the Castlereagh River. Reunited with Evans, Oxley led the expedition further
north-east towards the Warrumbungle Ranges. Here they discovered the rich and fertile Liverpool
Plains. They then turned east to cross the Great Dividing Range and descend to the coast, following the
river Hastings to its mouth. Oxley named the area Port Macquarie. They then headed south along the
coast of Newcastle.
By the 1820s it was decided there was a need for a new penal settlement to house the most difficult
convicts. Governor Thomas Brisbane sent Oxley north by boat in search of a site in 1823. Having
rounded Moreton Island, Oxley encountered two escaped convicts who had been living with Aborigines.
The convicts showed him the mouth of a large river, which Oxley explored and named after Governor
Brisbane. In 1824 the Moreton Bay settlement was established some distance up the Brisbane River.
Oxley was an excellent public servant and explorer. He became a well-known landowner near Bowral in
the highlands south-west of Sydney. He was a director of the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac)
from 1821 to 1825 and he sat as a magistrate. Oxley later became a Governor Brisbane appointed him to
the Legislative council in 1824.
As an explorer he was not afraid to take risks, but he knew how to manage the strength of both his
horses and the members of his party. He never lost a man, though his own health suffered. He was
unable to solve the riddle of the rivers, which appeared to lose themselves in marshes, but he added
much valuable land to the known territory of his time. Oxley died in Sydney at 45 years of age.