AustLit

19th-Century Australian Travel Writing

Explorer and colonial governor Edward John Eyre (1815-1901) emigrated to Australia at the age of 17. Following a series of expeditions in South Australia, in 1840 Eyre co-lead an expedition across the Nullarbor Plain, traversing the coastline of the Great Australian Bight from Adelaide to Albany, and through parts of central Australia. Published in 1845, four years after the completion of the expedition, Eyre's travel narrative takes the form of a traditional journal of exploration. The first volume contains an appendix that includes descriptions and catalogues of Australian animals, reptiles, insects and fish, while the second contains an extensive section detailing the manners and customs of Aboriginal peoples. It explored their traditions and ceremonies, as well as the effects of contact with Europeans, suggesting some ways that the system adopted towards Aboriginal peoples might be improved.