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Explorers of
Australia:
JOHN McDOUALL STUART'S EXPEDITIONS
The first expedition
Departed 14 May 1858
Stuart left Oratunga Station, owned by James Chambers, in the Flinders Ranges, aiming to search the north-west of South Australia for minerals and new lands suitable for grazing. He was also searching for a land which the aborigines called Wingillpin. With Stuart was a man called Forster and an Aboriginal man whose name is not known. They took a few horses and enough supplies for one month. Stuart's instruments were a pocket compass and a watch.
June 26 1858:
Stuart made an important discovery: a large creek with 'permanent
waters', which he named Chambers Creek. Located in the dry area
south west of Lake Eyre, the creek has now been renamed Stuart
Creek. 
The expedition then travelled north-west but, near what is now Coober Pedy, turned south-west because the stony ground was painful for his horses to walk on. Stuart did not realise that beneath them were the huge deposits of opal for which the region is now famous.
They travelled through the eastern edges of the Great Victoria Desert. It was a difficult journey and supplies were running low. However, on 16 August 1858 they arrived at Miller's Water on the coast, west of Denial Bay.
Returned 11 September
1858
After a four month long journey covering about 2,400 kilometres,
the expedition arrived home.
On returning from
this expedition, Stuart was again suffering from scurvy. He was
now was recognised as a remarkable explorer and bushman and was
honoured by the presentation of a gold watch by the Royal Geographical
Society .
Back
to John McDouall Stuart
Expeditions 2...3...4...5...6
If you use any part of this
in your work, acknowledge it in your bibliography like this:
John McDouall
Stuart (2002).
[Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
Explorers of Australia
Bass & Flinders ... Burke
& Wills... Blaxland, Lawson
& Wentworth ...Eyre ...
Hume & Hovell ... Leichardt
... Mitchell ... Oxley
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