Stuart Highway History

Notes from the 5th Expedition Nov 1860 - Sept 1861

Photo by Diego Jimenez on Unsplash

The Scottish surveyor and explorer John McDouall Stuart¹ mapped the way from the South to the Top End of Australia. Stuart was a protégé of explorer Captain Charles Sturt and under his tutelage, became an excellent surveyor. Stuart was one focused, stubborn man who through this determination was the most accomplished of all the Inland Australian Explorers.

He didn’t succeed at first but he tried and tried (x 3) again² before he made it successfully through the heart of Australia. He attempted to travel through the middle of 5 times and on the 6th, he succeeded! I am more amazed at the 5th attempt, the one before he successfully completed the journey. While reading about his unsuccessful attempts to make it to the Top End, I thought to myself;

• What kept this man going?

• Why was he obsessed to survey a way through the heart of Australia?

• How did he keep his focus when despair and uncertainty was around him?

“If my own life were the only sacrifice, I would willingly risk it to accomplish my purpose; but it seems that I am destined to be disappointed; man proposes, but the Almighty disposes, and his will must be obeyed.”
- John McDouall Stuart, Diary Entry 27 June 1860³

John McDouall Stuart’s fifth attempt began at the end of November 1860⁴. The trek started with Stuart and his team of 7 men and thirty horses heading north ending up in Chambers Creek. At the start of their journey, some of their horses became ill, others were knocked up so they spent the next few weeks ramping up preparations for their journey. More men and horses joined the expedition with final numbers totaling 12 men and 39 horses. The expedition properly set off from Chambers Creek on 1 Jan 1891⁵ .

The first leg of the journey I think, was uneventful. Stuart had done this track several times before and the diary entries were short and sweet with their findings. Just after the first week, the group stopped at Mr Levi’s station; which by my guess is around Emerald Springs South Australia. Stuart decided to lighten the load and people to continue with the expedition. Two men, two horses and maybe three more were left to turn around South (Diary Entry 9 Jan 1961⁶). I do want to mention that they chose to travel at the worst time; summer in the outback. There was casualty from the extreme heat; a dog called Toby. He was brought along with the expedition for companionship but the poor fella couldn’t handle the harsh desert heat. A diary entry on Friday 11 Jan telling us that for Toby, the heat was too much and didn’t make it. All members of the expedition were greatly saddened by his passing.

In March they arrived at the McDonnel Ranges. This was their somewhat, halfway mark as they stayed around Brinkley’s Bluff⁷ - the rain was flooding their area and bogged the team down. Yet the rain was welcome and they were able to fill their stores of water for the next part of their journey.

The expedition was regularly slowed due to searching for water and the pesky horses. Regularly the horses wandered off. So, the expedition members regularly went out to go find them. And if they couldn’t be found, more members or Stuart would go to locate them to continue their journey.

In May the expedition was in the Sturt Plains and really struggling. The diary entries from Stuart are more frequent and express discouragement due to the extreme heat, horses exhaustion, lack of water and inability to get around the ranges before them. They were also investigated by the indigenous Australians. The diary entry from the 26th of May, some Indigenous men lit fires around the expedition. We don’t know what the indigenous were saying or what their intentions were; but by their actions, it seems that they wanted these fella’s gone from their land.

In June they found water to sustain themselves but they didn’t venture far. The diary entries become more disheartening. In the entries Stuart was convinced that that he was so close to reaching the most Northern Point of Australia. But the reality of the expedition; the terrain, rain, weakened men and horses, prevented them from making much progress. Many of the horses had died, even the more toughened ones were struggling for the lack of water. The horses were only having a drink once every 3 days at this stage. The provisions brought were running out and was being rationed to the men; four pounds of flour and one pound of meat per week. The restriction of their food was too much and the expedition was very visibly starving.

On the 1st of July 1861, Stuart decides to turn around and head back south to home.

“I am again forced to turn; it is quite hopeless to attempt it any farther. It would be sacrificing our horses, and, perhaps, our own lives, without the least prospect of attaining our end”
- John McDouall Stuart, Diary entry 15 June 1861

The journey back south seemed to go a lot quicker than when they started. The promise of a home, hearth, family and familiar settings must have sparked a new energy within them all. But it wasn’t going to be easy.

Travelling through the outback in July was more forgiving than in January; there was frost on the bush in the mornings. But, food was scarce and water was hard to find. The horses were weak, thin and wandered off in search of food. The men were frail, their repairing supplies were low, their clothing in tatters and no shoes. And the indigenous Australians see the expedition and attack these intruders on their land.

The diary entries leading up and including the one from the 11th July astounded me⁸. After reading them I wondered; How could this expedition continue on when the men were starving, dehydrated, barefooted and near naked? What kept their spirit alive during this trying time?⁹

On the 31st of August 1861, the expedition arrived at a familiar place; Mr Levi’s Station. The members of the expedition were “overjoyed at once more seeing the face of a white man”. I’m glad to say a lot of things have improved from 150+ years ago. I was curious about where this Mr Levi’s station was and rom from my understanding, the station is out by Milne Springs, about 123kms south of Oonadatta¹⁰. At Mr Levi’s attention they were looked after; cleaned up, clothed and fed. I cannot imagine how good that hot meal must have tasted for these poor fella’s.

Of the original 12 men that set off, 7 came back alive. Getting proper info on this was challenging for me so I am reliant on Wikipedia¹¹ here. I do think that explorers from the UK had this fixation of using horses for transport and excluding the harsh outback conditions and embarking right in the middle of the melting Australian summer months. While researching this expedition, I couldn’t help but see parallel’s with the unfortunate fate of Robert Flacon Scott’s¹² team in the race to the south pole.

I feel that John McDouall Stuart was driven to the point of obsession. Stuart didn’t marry¹³ and without the duty or commitment to another person, I think he chose to throw himself into his work. He chose to be an amazing Surveyor and had great guidance to be one from Captain Charles Sturt. And then being in Australia, uncharted land, what a great opportunity for him to achieve this!

I feel that there was a call for adventure for him. I don’t think there’s any other explanation to put yourself, and others in danger for exploration and adventure. And as to what kept him going, as was hinted in the first diary quote, was his faith. Stuart never really spoke about his faith but there were mentions of his reliance on the Almighty to guide and have mercy on him through hardships.

These are amazing traits but also, there are opposites. I say this because the 5th expedition ended September 1861. The 6th and successful expedition began December 1861 - only 3 months after arriving home! You’d think that he learnt something from this last expedition and travel closer to the colder months but no, he left in the summer AGAIN! Horses were used again to haul their supplies. They were familiar with the animals but the poor creatures are not native to Australia. Camels had been introduced in Australia around 1860¹⁴ but not really utilized. I don’t think Stuart was made aware of Camels to be an option to use. Nor do I think that he would have waited to purchase or train himself and the men to use Camels.

John McDouall Stuart was a driven man who’s courage, obsession and perseverance earned him a name in our history books.

If you are curious about 6th, the final and the successful expedition, I got some futher links and reading if you’d like:

The South Australia State Library¹⁵.

My dad Dave Ives has read the book Mr Stuart’s Track¹⁶ by John Bailey; he might have an article come out on this.

There is a fun video below from Camac History¹⁷

And Maps! Links to maps of where he travelled can be found at the John McDouall Stuart Society Website¹⁸ and The Royal Geographical Society¹⁹

1. https://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/trailblazers/john-mcdouall-stuart/

2. https://johnmcdouallstuart.org.au/first-five-expeditions

3. https://songsofhope883.com/2018/06/03/john-mcdouall-stuart-explorer/

4. https://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/c.php?g=410309&p=2795151

5. https://johnmcdouallstuart.org.au/expedition-five

6. https://johnmcdouallstuart.org.au/expedition-five

7. https://www.larapintatrail.com.au/section-4-larapinta-trail.html

8. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/8911/8911-h/8911-h.htm#j5

9. https://gerhardy.id.au/pent01_08.htm

10. https://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/oodnadatta-sa

11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McDouall_Stuart#Fifth_expedition

12. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/race-south-pole-scott-amundsen

13. https://territorystories.nt.gov.au/10070/373243/0/3

14. https://www.burkeandwills.net.au/Camels/Camels_for_the_Expedition.htm

15. https://digital.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/nodes/view/2267#idx12802

16. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/mr-stuarts-track_john-bailey/1789010/?srsltid=AfmBOoqARMOh6clEdasTaf9m6sutxrpAbTkmkLnmWCtektCTB6nlWI3H#edition=605131

17. instagram.com/camac2020/?hl=en

18. https://johnmcdouallstuart.org.au/maps

19. https://www.themaphouse.com/artworks/categories/452/225042-royal-geographical-society-rgs-john-mcdouall-stuart-s-fourth-and-fifth-expeditions-into-1861/