Looking-into-Leichhardt_catalogue_Oct2013_Gannon+friends

RETRACING THE 1844-45 EXPEDITION

The colony of New SouthWales was keen for a overland link from the east coast to the small garrison, Victoria Settlement, north-east of today’s Darwin. The British had fears of the French or other colonists claiming the north. Sir Thomas Mitchell was delayed in taking on this venture and a small rag bag team led by the unusual naturalist, Ludwig Leichhardt, took on the challenge. They left Jimbour Station in south east Queensland on 1 October 1844. See a month by month outline of the expedition starting at page 16, and a list of source documents on the inside back cover of this booklet .

Photographs of Leichhardt's 1844-45 Field Diary with extracts of text, maps and calculations by kind permission of the Mitchell Library , State Library of NSW, Sydney

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