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In 1842, Ludwig Leichardt, a German scientist
who had studied at the University of Berlin, came to Australia
to study rocks. He explored parts of the Northern Territory and
Queensland.
In 1844 Leichardt left Darling Downs in Queensland for Port Essington near Darwin with nine men, seventeen horses, sixteen bullocks and supplies. Because of Leichardt's poor bush skills, the expedition frequently got lost. Food was always in short supply and they ate native animals of all kinds. One man left the expedition and another was killed by Aborigines. The rest finally reached their destination after a journey of 15 months and 5,000 kms. Along the way, the expedition named the Dawson, Mackenzie, Isaacs, Suttor, Burdekin, Lynd and Mitchell Rivers. They named Expedition Range and Peak Range. The party then travelled along the coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria before returning home by sea.
In 1846, Leichardt attempted to cross Australia from the Darling Downs to the Swan River in Western Australia. Because of drought and the intense heat, he turned back.
In 1848, he tried again and his expedition set out from Moreton Bay near Brisbane, bound for Perth, and simply disappeared. He had with him a party of seven men, including two Aborigines. Leichardt thought they would be able to find food as they went along, so he took very inadequate supplies. He took only seven horses.
What became of the expedition remains a mystery. Some believe that the group were killed by Aborigines, or that they may have been caught by sudden floods or bushfires. They may have died of thirst, or of starvation because of the poor supplies they took. Many other expeditions have tried to solve the mystery. None have found any evidence or clue about what happened to Ludwig Leichardt and his expedition.
Acknowledge
this source in your bibliography like this:
Ludwig Leichardt
(2001). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
Explorers of Australia
Burke & Wills ...Blaxland,
Lawson and Wentworth ... Eyre ...Hume and Hovell ... Mitchell
... Oxley
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February 2002