Where’s Mr Stuart?
By Stuart Traynor Week 17 (22-28 June 1860): The expedition ends at Attack Creek They headed back to Kekwick Ponds at sunrise on 22 June and reached them at 1.30 pm with three of the horses just about done in. While resting at Kekwick Ponds on 23 June the men were approached by some Aboriginal [...]
Baldwin and Spencer
If you’ve ever wanted to know more about the dynamic duo of Baldwin Spencer and Frank Gillen, whose collaboration began at the Alice Springs Telegraph station 114 years ago, here’s your chance to get a good introduction to these two blokes with big droopy moustaches who “shaped the Australian conscience” - but were also its [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
By Stuart Traynor Week 16 (15-21 June 1860): An attempt to go north-east to the Gulf Stuart, Kekwick and Head stayed six days at Bishop Creek, resting the horses and getting their equipment in order. There was quite a lot of native cucumber growing near the creek which relieved the pains associated with Stuart’s scurvy. [...]
What’s in a name? Part 2
This is the second part of a film made at the Hartley Street School in Alice Springs last Sunday and presented by the National Trust. The piece, performed by Iain Campbell and Dave Evans, was written by Iain in 1983 when it was (eventually) entombed in a time capsule. Which just goes to show, you [...]
What’s in a name? (Part One)
The story of how Alice Springs was officially named makes a droll tale, as an audience invited by the National Trust to talk at Alice’s old Hartley Street School discovered to its delight last Sunday . There’s even a story about the story itself, as Iain Campbell revealed after he and Dave Evans had donned [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart
Stuart Traynor on the trail of John McDouall Stuart as he journeyed through the centre 150 years ago. Week 15 (8-14 June 1860): An attempt to go north-west to the Victoria Stuart had decided to once more head north-west after crossing the Bishop Creek on 7 June and they continued on this course when they [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Taken from John McDouall Stuart’s journals on his journey through the Centre 150 years ago On the first day of June Stuart and his men encountered a pleasant surprise in the form of “splendid large gum creek or river” on their course through the Davenport Range. The creek was more than 200 metres or “ten [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor reports on the whereabouts and whatabouts of John McDouall Stuart and his brave companions, exactly 150 years after they made their way into Central Australia. Week 13 (25-31 May 1860): from Barrow Creek to the Davenport Range Stuart was feeling better on the morning of 25 May when they headed north through some [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor continues his pursuit of John McDouall Stuart through time and space, precisely 150 years after Stuart, Kekwick and Head made their historic journey through Central Australia. Week 12 (18-24 May 1860): from Central Mt Stuart to Barrow Creek Stuart, Kekwick and Head stayed at Central Mount Stuart until the morning of 19 May [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor follows the track of John McDouall Stuart and his men as they explored Central Australia exactly 150 years ago. Week 11 (11-17 May 1860): from Mt Denison back to Central Mt Stuart Ben Head was ill during the night of 10 May and so Stuart was obliged to stay a fourth day near [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
By Stuart Traynor Following the tracks of John McDouall Stuart’s expedition to the Centre, exactly 150 years ago Week 10 (4-10 May 1860): from the Tanami Desert back to Mt Denison Unable to cross the Tanami Desert to the Victoria River, the three men reluctantly retreated towards Mount Denison. The horses had gone a couple [...]
Where’s Mr Stuart?
Stuart Traynor continues his weekly series following the trail of John McDouall Stuart into Central Australia – exactly 150 years ago. Week 9 (27April-3 May 1860): from the Centre into the Tanami Desert Stuart, Kekwick and Head managed to find some water on 27 April in the vicinity of a mountain, west of Central Mount [...]
Alice Springs, AUSTRALIA