Rare official printing of John Macdouall Stuart's journal of his fourth expedition through central Australia, noteworthy for the discovery of the Finke River, Macdonnell Ranges and the geographical centre of the Australian continent.

Rare official printing of John Macdouall Stuart's journal of his fourth expedition through central Australia, noteworthy for the discovery of the Finke River, Macdonnell Ranges and the geographical centre of the Australian continent.

The expedition followed the disbanding of Stuart's party, which had assembled for prospecting in the Davenport Range. After finding no gold the men rebelled and were paid of in Chambers Creek. Shortly afterwards, on 2 March 1860, Stuart set off into the vast wilderness with two companions, William Kekwick and Benjamin Head. The party lost important provisions to flooding and suffered terribly from scurvy and malnutrition; indeed Stuart lost the use of his right eye. They discovered the Finke River and Macdonnell Ranges before ascertaining the exact centre of the continent on 22 April 1860.

Stuart writes 'To-day I find, from my observation of the sun…that I am now camped in the centre of Australia. About two and a half miles to the N.N.E. is a high mount. I wish it had been in the centre. I shall go to it to-morrow and build a cone of stones, plant the British flag, and name it Central Mount Stuart. We have been in search of permanent water all day, but cannot find any…'. For the following month they searched fruitlessly for water, frustrating plans for further travels to the north-west. Rains in May allowed a dash to Tennant's Creek and two months later the group, now emaciated with hunger and fatigue, returned to Chambers Creek. Stuart, Keckwick and Head received a heroes welcome in Adelaide, their discovery of the exact centre of Australia prompting the South Australia government of to fund Stuart's next expedition to cross the continent in direct competition with Burke and Wills.

Published as House of Assembly paper 65 of 1861.