The Explorers of Australia and their Life-workFavenc, Ernest
History
The Explorers of Australia and their Life-work
Favenc, Ernest
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
Brockman was most successful in securing full information of this
long-secluded region; of its geographical, geological, and botanical
details. Many interesting photographs were obtained of the different
physical features and of the aborigines and their modes of life; amongst
them being views of rock paintings similar to the mysterious scenes
noticed by Grey during his first expedition to the Glenelg River.
[Illustration. Aboriginal Rock Painting on the Glenelg River. From a
photograph by F.S. Brockman.]
The party left Wyndham on Cambridge Gulf and proceeded first southwards
and then to the westward to the Charnley River, which had been discovered
by Frank Hann. The tributary waters of the Glenelg and Prince Regent
Rivers, and the tidal rivers that flow into Collier and Doubtful Bays
were also visited, and Brockman traced the Roe River from its source to
its outflow in Prince Frederick Harbour. The Moran River was discovered,
and its whole course traced to the mouth in the same inlet. The head
waters of the King Edward River were discovered at the watershed; and
this river was again met lower down and its course traced to its exit.
Portions of the shores of Admiralty Gulf, Vansittart, and Napier Broome
Bay were closely examined with a view to selecting a suitable port for
the district. The most important practical result of the expedition was
the discovery of an area of six million acres of basaltic pastoral
country covered with blue grass, Mitchell and kangaroo grasses, and many
varieties of what is known as top feed. No auriferous country was found,
but some fine specimens of the baobab tree were seen, some of them
averaging fifty feet in diameter.
[Illustration. Typical Australian Explorers of the early Twentieth
Century.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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