Edward John Eyre's Explorations

Second Trip Embraces Port Lincoln

Port Lincoln Times (SA : 1927 - 1954), Friday 6 September 1935, page 3

The information here given about Edward John Eyre is derived from newspaper articles and Eyre's book of his travels, and for the most part is condensed from the latter, using the same words where possible, and only occasionally using quotation marks.

Eyre went northward about 36 miles from his depot at Mount Arden, but before doing so he had climbed a high hill and had seen a high and distant range and he instructed his overseer (John Baxter) to inspect the country south-westerly. On Baxter's return he reported that he went as directed on horseback, and had been about 50 miles south west to a high, rocky and barren range and from there could see another high range, similar in appearance to the first. The intervening country was open, level and barren, with a dried-up lake about 10 miles beyond the range he was upon. The country between Mount Arden and the first range was of a similar character. During the journey Baxter had not seen a blade of grass nor a drop of water. The first range of hills Eyre named Baxter's Range and the dried-up lake, Lake Gilles, after his overseer and Osmond Gilles respectively. The range of hills is doubtless the same as that which R. Cock saw when near ' Curtain Point,' a short time before Eyre arrived at Mount Arden. 

The overseer's report was not very heartening, so Eyre decided to examine immediately on the west side of the Gulf, and accompanied by his overseer they walked 35 miles from the depot. The land was found to be high and flat-topped, gradually declining to the south and broken by deep gorges into portions resembling hills. The soil was found to be soft, sandy, red loam, greatly mixed with stones. There was a little old withered grass, but they could not see any timber except patches of scrub and here and there a few small pines, neither could they see any signs of water. The country in front of them had the same appearance as that traversed, so the attempt was given up as "impracticable at so unfavorable a season as the present." Although not very definite, this seems to indicate that Eyre was following down the western shore of Spencer's Gulf, as though making for Port Lincoln. No signs of natives, their fires or tracks were seen. 

ARRIVAL AT PORT LINCOLN 

So ended Eyre's first attempt to penetrate the interior. He returned to Adelaide on June 29, 1839, by way of the River Murray, having been further north than anyone else ; Mount Eyre, named by the Governor, commemorates the furthest point that Eyre reached on the journey. Eyre remained in Adelaide only from June 29 until July 8, when he left in the brig Porter for Port Lincoln, and had as a fellow passenger the investigating Church of England clergyman, as far as Port Lincoln. His party consisted of E. J. Eyre, J. Baxter (overseer), three men, two native boys, two drays and 10 horses. 

Governor Gawler, in writing under a date between July 2 and 10, 1839, to Col. Torrens (chairman of the Colonization Commissioners), after reporting Eyre's return from his first trip, said that Eyre was on the point of leaving for Port Lincoln to endeavor to penetrate into the country beyond Port Lincoln, in the hope of finding a fertile and valuable country toward the western point of the province. The Governor intimated that in his opinion Eyre would, on his return, willingly attempt the trip from Spencer's Gulf to Port Essington (Northern Territory) 'across the centre of our mysterious island.' We have not got Eyre's diary of the trip from Port Lincoln to Point Bell, only a general resume. He, however, must have incorporated some of the information gathered in the details of the subsequent journey 1840. Eyre reported leaving Port Lincoln on August 5, 1839, that is, on his twenty-fourth birthday. 

Capt. Johnson, who was out with Matthew Smith, stated that they twice crossed Eyre's tracks. From this it would seem that Eyre went in the direction of Mount Gawler, even if not further, before crossing over the range, in the direction of Edillilie today, but his plan does not indicate this. Rather it appears that he travelled in a straight line from Port Lincoln to a little east of Edillilie, whence he went more westerly in his route, bringing him out to the west of Mount Hope. 

He then passed up along the coast, between Lake Hamilton (which he named after his friend, George Hamilton) and the sea, still following the coast, but keeping Round Lake, Lakes Tungketta and Newland and Mount Hall on his left. 

BARREN COUNTRY 

From Eyre's report we learn that he passed through low barren country, interspersed with many salt lakes until he struck the coast in Latitude 31 degrees 7 minutes, or near Hall's Bay. In this salt lake country J. C. Darke, about five years later, mentions that he crossed some tracks, which he supposed were Eyre's, but there is some mystery attached to Darke's reference. 

Following the coast, Eyre crossed a succession of low limestone hills, covered with casuarina, strong grass, and with no water except occasional swamps, behind the coastal sand hummocks, which he thought was due to recent rains. To the eastward of these stony hills, the country was level and scrubby. This class of country extended to about Latitude 35 degrees, where a lower and more sandy region was encountered, the trees being Eucalyptus dumosa (mallee) and teatree. These gradually took the place of the sheoak, which finished about 33 degrees 41 minutes, when the scrub became dense and almost impenetrable. In this low country granite bluffs were met with, but later before reaching Streaky Bay, these granite bluffs ceased and no distant view could be obtained.

Streaky Bay was reached on August 25, 1839, nearly a month before the time appointed for the boat Ranges, with surveyor Cannan on board, to meet Eyre. (The sea trip by Cannan was dealt with in a previous article.) Eyre now decided that the almost impenetrable scrub prevented a forward movement with the whole party without cutting a track so he left a portion of the party at a depot, formed at a spring (subsequently referred to by Hack as Cooeyana) which "we were fortunate enough to find about two miles south-east of the most southerly bight of Streaky Bay." Eyre had not much complaint about the water ; certainly on his next visit he said the water was not so good as previously, but Hack in 1857 said there were two wells, "one good water, the other not drinkable by Christians, unless in extremity."