The Departure of Captain Sturt, August 1844.

Wonderful depiction of Captain Sturt’s large party departing Adelaide to determine the existence of a dividing range in central Australia in August 1844 by Gill, made during his time in South Australia 1839 to 1852. Through many setbacks including drought and flood Sturt undertook a trek of nearly five hundred miles towards the centre of the continent. He discovered Cooper’s Creek and crossed Sturt’s Stony Desert. He was eventually forced to turn back due to the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert. His expedition confirmed the confluence of the Darling and Murray Rivers, refuted the concept of an inland sea, found no large river and determined there was no central dividing range.

Angas’s description;
‘The annexed plate will convey some idea of the busy and animated scene the city of Adelaide presented on the eventful morning the gallant Sturt set out on his late expedition to penetrate into the centre of the vast continent of Australia: he was attended by a large concourse of his friends and fellow colonists, who accompanied him out of town, mounted upon horseback, and the day was a gala for the citizens of Adelaide.’

From George French Angas’s, South Australia Illustrated.

References:
Gill, T. Bibliography of South Australia. Adelaide. (1886) 1976. p.16.
Wantrup, J. Australian Rare Books. Sydney 1987 P.309-316..
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 4457, Volume IV.
Tregenza, J. George French Angas. Artist, Traveller and Naturalist 1822-1886. Adelaide 1980.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 1853897
State Library South Australia: B 15276/54
National Gallery Australia: ACCESSION NUMBER 66.7.3.4