Charles Sturt

Charles Napier Sturt (28 April 1795 – 16 June 1869) was a British officer and explorer of Australia, and part of the European exploration of Australia. He led several expeditions into the interior of the continent, starting from Sydney and later from Adelaide. His expeditions traced several of the westward-flowing rivers, establishing that they all merged into the Murray River, which flows into the Southern Ocean. He was searching to prove his own passionately held belief that an "inland sea" was located at the centre of the continent. He reached the rank of Captain, served in several appointed posts, and on the Legislative Council.

Born to British parents in the Bengal Presidency, Sturt was educated in England for a time as a child and youth. He was placed in the British Army because his father was not wealthy enough to pay for Cambridge. After assignments in North America, Sturt was assigned to accompany a ship of convicts to Australia in 1827. Finding the place to his liking, he made his life there.

Early life

Charles Sturt was born in the Bengal Presidency, the eldest son (of thirteen children) of Thomas Lenox Napier Sturt, a judge under the British East India Company, and his wife. His grandfather was Humphrey Sturt, and his uncle was the MP Charles Sturt. At the age of five, Charles was sent to live with relatives in England to be educated,

In 1812, Charles went to read with a Mr. Preston near Cambridge,

Sturt received approval from Governor Darling on 4 November 1828 to explore the area of the Macquarie River in western New South Wales.

In September 1838, Sturt led an expedition to the mouth of the Murray, which settled all dispute as to the suitability of Adelaide for the colony's capital. After returning to NSW to settle his affairs, Sturt settled at what is now Grange, South Australia in early 1839; he was appointed Surveyor General of South Australia and a member of the South Australian Legislative Council. When the London-appointed Surveyor-General Edward Frome unexpectedly arrived, Sturt had to step down.

Sturt served briefly as the Registrar-General, but he soon proposed a major expedition into the interior of Australia as a way of restoring his reputation in the colony and London.

In November–December 1839, Sturt and his wife accompanied the Governor of South Australia George Gawler, Julia Gawler (his daughter), Henry Inman and a support crew on an expedition up the River Murray River, returning to Adelaide overland. Julia Gawler, Charlotte Sturt and Charlotte's maidservant accompanied the men, becoming the first white women to travel the Murray.

Two days late while riding in very hot weather, with their water supply dwindling, both the men and horses were suffering. During the return journey to the river, Henry Bryan's horse was slow, and was lagging behind the main group. When a dust storm occurred, Bryan got lost, was separated from his horse, and most likely died. His body was never recovered, although a massive search was conducted over eight days to find him. Days later both the Governor and his remainder of the party reached Adelaide on 28 December.

No trace of Bryan was ever found but, according to one commentator, his horse returned to Adelaide after several months.

In September 1841, Sturt chaired a Bench of Magistrates that conducted an official inquiry into the circumstances of the Rufus River massacre. The inquiry concluded "that the conduct of Mr. Moorhouse and his party was justifiable, and indeed unavoidable in their circumstances".

Exploring from Adelaide, Sturt's third and final expedition

thumb|Sturt leaving [[Adelaide in 1844]]

Sturt believed that it was his destiny to discover a great saltwater lake, known as 'the inland sea', in the middle of Australia. At very least, he wanted to be the first explorer to plant his foot in 'the centre' of Australia. In August 1844, he set out with a party of 15 men, 200 sheep, six drays, and a boat to explore north-western New South Wales and to advance into central Australia. They travelled along the Murray and Darling rivers before being guided past the future site of Broken Hill by a local Indigenous teenager named Topar. They were stranded for months by the extreme summer conditions near the present site of Milparinka.

When the rains eventually came, Sturt moved north and established a depot at Fort Grey (today this site is within Sturt National Park). With a small group of men, including explorer John McDouall Stuart as his draughtsman, Sturt pressed on across what is now known as Sturt's Stony Desert and into the Simpson Desert. Unable to go further, he turned back to the depot. Sturt made a second attempt to reach the centre of Australia, but he developed scurvy in the extreme conditions. His health broke down and he was forced to abandon the attempt. John Harris Browne, surgeon on the expedition, assisted Sturt, took over leadership of the party and, after travelling a total of , brought it back to safety.

Later life

thumb|The Grange, Sturt's cottage, located in the Adelaide suburb of [[Grange, South Australia|Grange]]

Early in 1847 Sturt went to England on leave. He arrived in October and was presented with the Royal Geographical Society's Founder's Medal. He prepared his Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia for publication; however, it was not published until early in 1849. Throughout this time he was suffering again with poor eyesight.

Sturt returned to Adelaide with his family, arriving in August 1849. He was immediately appointed Colonial Secretary with a seat in the legislative council. There was no lack of work in the ensuing years. Roads were constructed, and navigation on the Murray was encouraged. However Sturt had renewed trouble with his eyes, which limited his ability to perform these duties. On 30 December 1851, he resigned from both positions and was given a pension of £600 a year.

Sturt's health had been very variable and on 16 June 1869, he died suddenly. He was survived by his widow, Charlotte, two sons, Colonel Napier George Sturt, and Major-General Charles Sheppey Sturt, and daughter Charlotte. Mrs Sturt was granted a civil list pension of £80 a year, and the queen granted her the title of Lady Sturt, as though her husband's knighthood had been gazetted. Reproductions of portraits of Sturt by Crossland and Koberwein were published in his biography, called Life, written by his daughter-in-law, Mrs N. G. Sturt.

Sturt's life is summarised in the Australian Dictionary of Biography as follows: The museum illustrates his story with "not only ... displays of relics, but interpretive and multimedia displays".

The Australian-born American actor Rod Taylor, whose middle name is Sturt, was his great-great-grandnephew.

Notes

References

External links

Portrait of Charles Sturt in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia (London: T. and W. Boone), 1849  —at University of Sydney