Ludwig - where are you?
Submitted: Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:05
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<span class="highlight">equinox</span>
Truth is stranger than fiction they reckon.
So it is with one of Australia's finest mysteries, though this one has the final chapter yet to be revealed.
Ludwig Leichhardt went on an expedition in 1848 from the
Condamine River in Queensland and headed to the Swan River Colony in Western Australia. He has not been seen again. Almost all traces of his journey have vanished, his men, his animals, and his equipment.
Except one item, a name plate, "The Leichhardt Plate", which was apparently was affixed to a rifle butt which was found around the area where the Tanami meets the
Great Sandy Desert, leaning against a
Boab tree.
Darrel Lewis has published a new book about this on the back of his very interesting paper published several years ago. It is called "Where is Dr Leichhardt?"
I think one day other artefacts will be found - I guess the reason why it is taking some time is that Leichhardt may have ended up in an area that is still quite remote and isolated.
UK Guardian ArticleNational Museum Info
I went to
Canberra a few years ago and was privileged to have a private viewing of the famous nameplate, I wanted to pick it up in my hands but I wasn't allowed to.
Mitchell Repository
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Reply By: equinox - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:07
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:07
The Leichhardt Plate
Another one:
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Follow Up By: equinox - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:10
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:10
A clipping from the Advertiser.
Advertizer
(Sorry - the
forum is not allowing me to upload more than 1 picture a post hence the multiple posts.)
So, keep your eyes open!!!!!!!
Cheers
Alan
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Follow Up By: Mick O - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:39
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:39
What's the provenance of the plate Al? Does it have a known history regarding presentation etc?
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Follow Up By: equinox - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:55
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 22:55
Mick it was found by Jacky, an assistant of Charles Harding who was a drover in the late 19th or early 20th century in the east
Kimberley.
Some Chinese whisper clues:
It was found in a bottle tree.
It was found about a day’s ride from the Musgrave Range.
It was near a Mount
Inkerman.
It was about 90
miles 150 km from the Western Australian border.
It was not far from
Sturt Creek.
When I went to
Canberra I thought it was on display at the museum however it was in storage. It took a bit of admin and begging to get me to it.
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 00:30
Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 00:30
It's a great story that's for sure.
All that gear and his people, it must be somewhere.
What a find it would be :)
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Reply By: Aussi Traveller - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 23:13
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 23:13
Hope you enjoy this, leichhardt is my favourite explorer, he even had ties to Burke and Wills via
McKinlay.
I believe his journal is at the archives in
Darwin.
Happy reading
Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia
Phil
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Follow Up By: equinox - Friday, May 31, 2013 at 23:31
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 23:31
Thanks Phil, I have the Macarther Facsimile edition.
Many of these old expedition diaries are ending up on the internet these days.
Cheers for the link.
Alan
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Reply By: racinrob - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 13:09
Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 13:09
Having spent almost three years working in the
Great Victoria Desert west of
Coober Pedy. I am in awe of these early
explorers who headed off into the great unknown. Another bloke rarely heard of and who deserves respect is Tietkin, he spent time looking for a cattle route south to north right up through the middle in the mid 1800s without success.
Rob.
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Follow Up By: racinrob - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 13:22
Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 13:22
The spelling should be Teitkin, I always get it wrong.
R
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Follow Up By: equinox - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 17:09
Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 17:09
Hi Rob,
As 2IC for Ernest Giles all those times Tietkins was bound to eventually go and fill in a few gaps by himself. You're right, he is one of the "silent"
explorers who does not get the recognition the deserve.
Cheers
Alan
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Reply By: Member - john y - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 13:41
Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 13:41
I too have always been fascinated by the Leichhardt mystery as I regard him as one of Australia's finest
explorers. His disappearance remains a mystery but for a different take on it Bruce Simpson in his book "|n Leichhardt's Footsteps " details a possible explanation and a search his group undertook to look for any trace of Leichhardts;expedition.
Well worth a read Regards
John y
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 21:10
Saturday, Jun 01, 2013 at 21:10
Just ordered the book, looks like a great read.
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Reply By: Mick O - Tuesday, Jun 18, 2013 at 18:03
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2013 at 18:03
Just remembered hearing about the recently discovered "leichhardt" paintings in
Kakadu. It's another interesting theory from an area he was known to have passed through.
"Leichhardt Paintings - Arnham Land
Cheers Mick
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Tuesday, Jun 18, 2013 at 22:04
Tuesday, Jun 18, 2013 at 22:04
That's a good read Mick.
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