INTO THE UNKNOWN

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1929, Page 1

INTO THE UNKNOWN

EYRE’S TRANS-AUSTRAUIAN JOURNEY. When Edward John Evre started on his memorable journey through the unknown interior of the Australian continent in the month of June, 1840, he was only twenty r five years of age, and although he had only been in the country for seven’ years he had nUitle himself one of the wealthiest and most prominent men in the colony ci New South Wales. ITe had emigrated from England in 1833 and had speedily amassed a small fortune from sheep farming, an occupation which had necessitated his making several journeys through the wilderness in the southern part of the country for the purpose of driving, sheep and cattle from New South Wales into the newly-settled colony of South Australia. It was in the course of one of these journeys that he, in 1839, discovered Lake Torrens.

His famous expedition in 1840 had for its object the discovery of an overland route by which sheep and cattle could be safely driven to the settlements in Western Australia, a discovery which was of vital importance to the colonists, for it would enable them to avod the heavy expense of transporting their flocks and herds by

He left Adelaide on June 18, 1810.

and bis part,vj which consisted of five other white men and two natives, first made its way to the north, where Kvre was hopeful of discovering a stretch of fertile country, through which he proposed to proceed to the western coast of Australia. After many months of arduous and dangerous travelling, during which he found his northward progress blocked everywhere by a series of impassable salty swamps and arid deserts, be turned to the south-west and finally reached the south coast at Fowler’s Bay in the Great Bight. Eyre then decided that it would he advisable to reduce the size of his party and four of the white men wore sent back to Adelaide in a Government cutter, which had met the expedition at Fowler’s Bay, while Eyre and his overseer, John Baxter by name, determined to make their way overland to Albany in West Australia. They were accompanied hv the two untilewho had left Adelaide with the party, and bv a third black named Wylie, a native of Albany, who had joined them from the cutter. The distance from Fowler’s Bay to Albany is 850 miles, and the journey through the intervening wilderness proved to be one of unceasing anxiety toil and privation. When about a third of the journey had been accomplished the two natives from Adelaide succeeded in stealing one of the white men’s guns. and. after shooting John Baxter dead, -they made off with all the provisions they could carry. leaving Evre alone in the desert with Wvlic. who remained faithful to his master, in spite of the efforts which the other blacks made to induce him to join them. With nearly 600 miles still separating them from their gaol, the two men had between them but. a few pounds of flour, four gallons of watc and a small quantity of tea and sugar, hut Eyre resolved to proceed. Day after day they struggled on beneit’ the blazing sun. often with nothin to eat and no water to moisten their parched throats, and had it not iwer for their luck in occasionally being abb' to shoot a kangaroo or a bird, and also finding, "hen reduced to the lost extremities, small pools o' muddy ■brackish water, they would have assuredlv perished. At last, on -Inly 7th. 1841. the two ragged, exhausted and emaciated men staggered into the town of Albany and thus, after nearly thirteen months of travelling, Eyre completed the journey which placed him in the front ranks of the little band of daring men whoso courage and determination revealed to the world the secrets of the interior of the vast island continent. Eyre remained in Australia 11M Cll 18-15 when lie returned to England, where he published his famous hook. “ Discoveries in Central Australia.”