Edmund Lockyer

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Edmund Lockyer, 21 January 1784-10 June 1860, was a British soldier and explorer of Australia.

Born in Plymouth, Devon, Lockyer was a Major in the 57th Regiment, when he arrived at Sydney, capital of the British Colony of New South Wales in May 1825.

Later that year, he was asked to lead an expedition to explore the upper reaches of the Brisbane River, which had only recently been settled by Europeans. On September 2, Lockyer sailed from Sydney in the cutter Mermaid, arriving at the settlement of Brisbane on September 7. Leaving the Mermaid at Brisbane, he travelled in a small boat up the river. Lockyer saw coal in deposits on the banks, becoming the first person to identify coal in Queensland. He arrived back in Sydney on October 16, 1825, and made a report to Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane

In late 1826, Lockyer led an expedition to claim Western Australia for Britain. He sailed on the brig Amity, arriving at King George Sound on Christmas Day. The military base established by Lockyer, the first European settlement in Western Australia, was named Frederick's Town (and was later renamed Albany). Lockyer returned to Sydney during 1827.

The Sydney suburb of Ermington is named after Lockyer's residence, "Ermington House". The Albany suburb Lockyer, as well as Lockyer Creek and Lockyer Valley in Queensland were named after Major Lockyer.

Lockyer established Australia's first smelter. In 1856 he became the first Usher of the Black Rod in the Parliament of New South Wales.

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