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John McDouall Stuart was arguably Australia's greatest inland
explorer, and this year marks the 150th anniversary of his first
expedition. A surveyor by occupation, he had travelled with Captain
Sturt in 1844-45, attempting to reach the centre of the continent. He
finally got there sixteen years after this attempt!

Many of the features Stuart discovered are visited by today's remote
area travellers � the Oodnadatta Track & Mound Springs; Chambers
Pillar, the MacDonnell Ranges, Katherine and other parts of the 'Top
End'. Westprint Maps
http://www.westprint.com.au/
has heaps of useful information on Stuart & his routes.

During May to September 1858 Stuart travelled northwest from Adelaide
and located Chambers Creek (know known as Stuart Creek), which
effectively became his northern base for his next five expeditions.
Still heading northwest, he reached an area in which is now located
Coober Pedy; went south-west down through vast, monotonous and dry
mallee regions; named Mt Finke (accessible from Goog's Track); and
arrived at the coast near Streaky Bay.

Finally, after nearly perishing through starvation and thirst, he made
it back to Mt Arden near Pt Augusta. He had left with six horses,
provisions for 6 weeks - the trip took 16 weeks - and two companions.
One left after a short time, fearing starvation. Stuart navigated with
only a watch and a compass; he had no sextant or artificial horizon,
let alone GPS, so a large part of his navigation was by dead
reckoning. This expedition established Stuart's reputation as an
explorer and bushman of outstanding ability, for which he was awarded
a gold medal by the Royal Geographical Society in London.

The John McDouall Stuart Society Inc plans to hold events from now
until 2012 to celebrate Stuart's journeys. In the meantime, visiting
www.johnmcdouallstuart.org.au
may allow you another glimpse of the little bushman.

[This article has been adapted from material provided by Rick Moore,
President, John McDouall Stuart Society Inc.  Like quite a few of our
early explorers, he seems to have been a lucky blunderer as much as a
"bushman of outstanding ability".  Why a "surveyor by occupation"
would NOT carry and use instruments with which he must surely have
been familiar remains a mystery, at least to me.]

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