Hume and Hovell expedition

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Hume and Hovell expedition was one of the most important journeys of explorations undertaken in eastern Australia. In 1824 the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, commissioned Hamilton Hume and former Royal Navy Captain William Hovell to lead an expedition to find new grazing land in the south of the colony, and also to find an answer to the mystery of where New South Wales's western rivers flowed.

Hume and Hovells 1824 expedition in shown by the broken line

The party set out from Appin near Sydney in October 1824, and travelled south to the Murrumbidgee River near the site of Tumut. They crossed "a noble stream" which they named the Hume (now the Murray River) near the site of Albury, and then advanced into what is now Victoria.

They proceeded south crossing the Ovens River and Goulburn River by a route further to the east of the Hume Highway and closer to the foothills of Mount Buffalo. They reach the Great Dividing Range in rugged country around Mount Disappointment by following an aboriginal track roughly along the Yea to Kinglake road. They were disturbed by aboriginal burning off and were unable to find a way through the range. They then retraced their steps to what is now the Straths Creek road at Flowerdale then moved west along Sunday Creek to Mount Piper near Broadford.

Hume and Hovell tried again to breach the Great Divide and finally succeeded at Pretty Sally. In the next few days they crossed the volcanic plains north and west of Melbourne which the aboriginals called 'Iramoo'. They continued southwards towards the junction of the Maribyrnong River and Jacksons Creek. Soon they arrived at Corio Bay near the present site of Geelong. Because of damaged instruments the believed they had reached Western Port, the large bay further east which had been discovered by Matthew Flinders and George Bass in 1798. Twenty-two years later, in 1825, James Meehan, who had accompanied John Murray in exploring Port Phillip Bay 18 month earlier, was to tell Hume that there were no large islands in Port Phillip, and that therefore had reached Port Phillip, not Western Port as Hovell had insisted. They spent three days recuperating before retracing their steps back to Sydney arriving back 18 January 1825.

Relations between the "currency lad" (native-born) Hume and the aloof Englishman Hovell had deteriorated, and they raced each other back to Sydney to claim credit for their discoveries. They arrived in January, and were both rewarded with large land grants by Governor Brisbane. They later published conflicting accounts of the journey, each claiming leadership, but today Hume is much the better remembered of the two.

The Hume and Hovell expedition disproved the widely held view that the interior of Australia was an uninhabitable wilderness. They found abundant well-watered grazing land between the Murrumbidgee and the Murray, and also in Victoria. Soon streams of settlers were following their route, which is now the Hume Highway from Sydney to Melbourne via Albury. But their expedition only deepened the mystery of the western rivers.

1 Out-fitting of the expedition
2 The party
3 The route
4 Monuments
- 4.1 Beveridge, Victoria
5 References

[edit] Out-fitting of the expedition

The expedition is considered to have been privately funded however a grant of 50 pounds was granted by Sir Thomas Brisbane, governor, for provisions.

The supplies were as follows: 7 pack saddles, 1 riding saddle, 8 stand of arms, 6 pounds of gunpowder, 60 rounds of ball cartridge, 6 blankets, 2 tarpaulins, 1 tent, 1200lbs flour, 350lbs pork, 170lbs sugar, 38lbs tea & coffee, 8lbs tobacco, 16lbs soap, 20lbs salt, 1 false horizon, 1 sextant, 3 pocket compasses, 1 pram, and cooking utensils.

[edit] The party

Apart from Hume and Hovell ,there is little reference to the at least seven other men. These included:

Ben Smith, accompanied Hume and Sturt on 1828 Darling expedition. Employed as servant to Hume.

Henry Angel, granted ticket of leave in 1823. Had previously accompanied Hume and Sturt on 1828 Darling expedition.

Samuel(?) Bollard, managed 'Berry Jerry' station on the Murrumbidgee; later was publican of hotel in Picton.

Claude Bossawa, died before 1855.

Thomas Boyd, returned to Tumut district and settled on Gilmore Creek; died in 1887 aged 88 and buried at Tumut cemetery.

James Fitzpatrick, who took up land between Cootamundra and Gundagai; later bought 'Glenlee' station near Campbelltown, died at 86.

There was a least one other man, unnamed, who was Indigenous Australian employed as a potential translator.

[edit] The route

Route of Hume & Hovell expedition, 5 to 12 November 1824	Route of Hume & Hovell expedition 12 to 21 November 1824	Route of Hume & Hovell expedition 22 to 30 November 1824	Route of Hume & Hovell expedition 1 to 14 December 1824
Route of Hume & Hovell expedition 15 to 19 December 1824