Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia In Search of a Route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria (1848)
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Overview
Beyond the settled districts of New South Wales, every river bend poses a question: does the water lead north towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, or deeper into an unmapped interior? Told in the first person, this expedition journal follows Thomas Mitchell's search for an overland route through country where direction, water and pasture can never be taken for granted. Surveying becomes an adventure of judgement and endurance, shaped by uncertain waterways and the constant demands of inland travel. Precise observations of rivers, ranges, plains, lagoons and watersheds give the narrative its distinctive character. Mitchell records the practical realities of moving an expedition by bullock drays, carts, horses and boats, while severe heat, drought, floods, illness and exhaustion repeatedly test its progress. The detailed river mapping is never detached from survival: each course must be interpreted, each crossing assessed, and each stretch of country measured against the needs of people and animals. Aboriginal guides and communities bring essential environmental knowledge to the expedition's encounters with the land. Their presence also places exploration within a wider and more troubling context, as the journal considers how prospective pastoral settlement may affect Indigenous water sources, food supplies and country. Combining an Australian exploration journal with a closely observed travel narrative, the work preserves both the discipline of surveying and the uncertainties behind the map. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9789378419980
- ISBN-10: 9378419984
- Publisher: Alpha Edition
- Publish Date: December 2026
- Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.67 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.88 pounds
- Page Count: 296
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