John+McDouall+Stuart

John McDouall Stuart Watch short clip to get an insight into John McDouall Stuart media type="custom" key="19243320" align="center"

Biographical Details:
 * John McDouall Stuart was born on the 7th of September in 1815. He was born in Dysart, which was a town forty-five minutes north of Edinburgh, in Scotland. John graduated from the Scottish Naval and Military Academy and then went to work as a clerk. After moving to South Australia he became a surveyor and was known as a really good surveyor for his accuracy in numbers. McDouall was known as a plucky, fiercely determined, enthusiastic and later on experienced explorer who was very accurate. He stood at a small 165 cm tall and weighed approximately 54 Kgs. On September 13th 1838 at the age of twenty three John started on a voyage to South Australia. With seventy-three other passengers on board a 422 tonne boat John left Dundee, Scotland heading for South Australia. They arrived on the 21st of January in 1839 where the city of Adelaide had been settled two years prior to that. Unfortunately for John both his mother and father died when he was in his teens. However there were seven brothers and sisters who could which could all take care of each other. Three of them died of infancy and other family and friends ended up helping raise the remaining 4. **

Outline of Expeditions: First: **The South Australian Government was keen to open up a route from Adelaide to the northern coast of Australia. Because of this a reward of $2000 was to be given to the people who achieved this great feat. So on the 2nd of March in 1860 Stuart with two men, by the names of William Kekwick and Ben Head, set out of Chambers Creek with Thirteen horses. Along the way they passed Chambers Pillars which Stuart named after William who had helped finance this trip. They also passed MacDonnell Range which Stuart named after the Governor of South Australia at the time. On the 26th of June Stuart and the other men reached a creek just north of Tennant Creek which is now known as Attack Creek. It was on that day that Stuart and the other men were attacked by Aboriginals and on the next day, the 27th, Stuart decided to return back to Adelaide because of low supplies and they were unhealthy. **

Second: ** Hearing that Victoria were also trying to be the first that travelled from the south to the north, through Burke and Willis, the South Australian Government helped to fund Stuarts second attempt. On the 1st of January 1861 Stuart set out again this time with 12 men and 49 horses. Kekwick also went on this trip but the rest of the men were named Thring, Ewart, Sullivan, Thompson, Lawrence, Masters, Woodforde, Wall, Bayliffe and Thomas. It was one of the worst summers to travel in and because of this was early forced to send two men and the five weakest horses home. On this trip they again passed through Chambers Creek, the MacDonnell Ranges and Attack Creek this time without any disturbance from the Aboriginal people. They then made their way to a 150 metre wide and 7 kilometres long Lagoon called Glandfield Lagoon which was later named Newcastle Waters. They camped there for five weeks trying to decide which way to go and where water was. During this time they were annoyed by some unfriendly Aboriginals who were lighting fires and scaring off the horses. Stuart decided that they should return back to Adelaide on the 1st of July exactly six months after they started. This was because of bad food sources and the horses and men were in bad condition. **

Third: ** On the 23rd of October 1961 the idea was launched that Stuart would again try to cross the land from the south to the north. On the 8th of January 1862 Stuart set off again from Chambers Creek and headed north. This time with ten men by the names of John Billiatt, Stephen King jr, James Frew jr, William Auld, John McGorrery, Heath Nash, Francis Thring, William Kekwick and Frederick Waterhouse along with 71 horses, they set off north going up passed MacDonnell Ranges, Attack Creek and reaching Newcastle Waters, where they stopped last time on the 5th of April. They there rested for a week and were again pestered by the Aboriginal people. They then tried to plan a route five times which went towards the Victoria River but they were unsuccessful so instead of heading north-west they travelled north which lead them to the Daly Waters which were located 150 km north of Newcastle Waters. On the 9th of June they reached land which had been mapped before and then on the 1st of July they reached the Mary River. Then on the 24th of July Stuart reached his ultimate by reaching the beach at Chambers Bay which is east of the present day Darwin. **

Analysis of the Expedition What happened after?
 * The government proclaimed the day of their return, a holiday. Following their return, Stuart was rewarded 2000 pounds for his efforts and used it to pay off tradesmen accounts. Stuart then became lonely and restless, he was unable to ride and read as he was almost blind. He even struggled to sleep. He was unable to use his right hand as it wasn’t recovering. He then travelled to England in April 1864 to recover, with his sister and her husband in London. He never recovered his health and died on 5 June 1866. **
 * Why important: **

The expedition was important because:
 * We would not have solved the mystery of the geographical nature of the centre of Australia. **
 * The western border of South Australia was moved. **
 * Control of the Northern Territory was transferred to South Australia. **
 * The Overland Telegraph Line, linking Adelaide to the world via Darwin, was constructed along his route. **
 * The original Central Australia Railway from Adelaide to Alice Springs followed a similar route. **
 * South Australia established settlement on the north coast at Darwin and vast areas of the north were opened up for pastoral and mineral development. **

<span style="color: #ba4aa6; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Why are we studying it today?
 * To find out who had discovered the Northern Territory and Central Australia, and how they did it. We also study these topics to answer the question of how places such as Darwin came to be. **

<span style="color: #b045a5; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">What references are there to expedition today? ** Bibliography: ** Ross, J 2000, Chronicle of Australia, Penguin books Australia, Ringwood, Victoria.
 * ** The Stuart Highway linking Adelaide to Darwin. **
 * ** Geographical features named in his honour. **
 * ** His statue – in Victoria Square, Adelaide, where an annual Remembrance Ceremony is held. **
 * ** Memorials and plaques throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory. **
 * ** The John McDouall Stuart Collection, housed at the Adelaide Masonic Centre, 254 North Terrace, Adelaide. **
 * ** The John McDouall Stuart Museum in Dysart, Kircaldy, Scotland. Open Thursday – Sunday, 1-5 pm. **
 * ** The existence of the John McDouall Stuart Society Incorporated **
 * ** John Stuart’s Diaries/Journals **
 * John McDouall Stuart biography 2012, John McDouall Stuart society, accessed 07 June 2012, []. **
 * Explorers of Australia: John McDouall Stuart 2011, Kidcyber, accessed 07 June 2012, [|www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/stuart.htm]. **
 * Morris, D 2012, Stuart, John McDouall, Australian Dictionary of Biography, accessed 07 June 2012, <adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stuart-john-mcdouall-4662>. **
 * John McDouall Stuart 2012, Wikimedia Foundation, inc., accessed 07 June 2012, <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McDouall_Stuart>. **
 * Wilkins, P 2002, John McDouall Stuart- Explorer,, accessed 11 June 2012, []. **
 * McArthur, L 2012, //John McDouall Stuart- Fifth Expedition//, Phoca, accessed 11 June 2012, <http://www.australianexplorers.com.au/stuart-five>. **
 * // Map of Exploration //****, n.d., map, , accessed 13 June 2012, <ebooks.adelaide.edu.au>. **
 * //John McDouall Stuart//, n.d., photograph,, accessed 13 June 2012, **** < http://birdsvilleroadhouse.com.au/_blog/The_Galah_Session/post/The_Inland_Explorers_John_McDouall_Stuart/>. **
 * John Macdouall Stuart, 1815-1866, Photograph,, accessed 14 June 2012, <http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/03750/B3724.htm **
 * John Mcdouall Stuart, 1860, Photograph,, accessed 14 June 2012, <http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/00750/B501.htm>. **
 * Mayor John Stuart, 1855, Photograph,, accessed 14 June 2012, <http://trove.nla.gov.au/picture/result?q=john+mcdouall+stuart>. **
 * // Map of Exploration //****, 1875, Map, , accessed 14 June 2012, <http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/01500/B1343.htm>. **
 * Horse Ambulance, 1862, illustration,, accessed 14 June 2012, <http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/59750/B59536.htm>. **