The Journals of John McDouall Stuart During the Years 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, and 1862: When He Fixed the Centre of the Continent and Successfully Cro

John McDouall Stuart (1815 66) was a surveyor and a pioneering explorer of Australia. Born in Scotland, he emigrated in 1839 to Australia where he worked in surveying and made many expeditions into the outback. The treks he undertook from 1858 to 1862 are the focus of this account, published in 1864, and are compiled from Stuart's notes by William Hardman (1828 90). During these periods of exploration he managed though suffering from scurvy to cross the continent, and he also discovered various rivers and geographical features. Hardman's account uses Stuart's journals to give an account of six historic and often gruelling expeditions. The first was to the north-west
the following two were explorations around Lake Torrens
the fourth was an attempt to find the centre of the territory
a fifth involved a forced retreat after an aboriginal attack
and in the final one Stuart traversed the continent."