Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia, and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound, in the Years 1840–1

Published in 1845, this account of Eyre's Australian expedition enables readers to 'accompany' the explorer across the dangerous outback.

Edward John Eyre (Author)

9781108038980, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 8 November 2011

546 pages, 11 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 3.1 cm, 0.69 kg

In 1832, aged just seventeen, the future colonial governor Edward John Eyre (1815–1901) set sail from London for Australia. The farming life that awaited him laid the foundations of an enduring interest in the topography, anthropology and zoology of his adopted homeland. Following an initial expedition in 1839, in 1840 Eyre set out on his pioneering trek from Adelaide to Western Australia. The year-long adventure financially ruined the explorer, but won him the coveted gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society for discovering Lake Torrens. Published in 1845, this two-volume account of the expedition made Eyre a household name in Britain and fuelled popular interest in the former penal colony. Volume 2 leads readers through various dramatic episodes including the plundering of the camp, a 'night of horrors', forced marches, and hunting kangaroos. It concludes with a fascinating account of the celebratory aborigine reception that awaited the survivors.

1. The camp plundered
2. Reflections upon situation
3. Heavy road
4. Go on board the Mississippi
5. Large watercourse
6. Concluding remarks
Manners and Customs of the Aborigines of Australia: 1. Preliminary remarks
2. Physical appearance
3. Food
4. Property in land
5. Ceremonies and superstitions
6. Numbers
7. Language, dialects, customs, etc.
8. Effects of contact with Europeans
9. Suggestions for improvement of system adopted towards the natives
Explanation of the plates of native ornaments, weapons, implements, and works of industry.

Subject Areas: Australasian & Pacific history [HBJM]