Ship of the Desert Tibooburra, New South Wales, Australia
By Shifter Brains on 18-Jul-10. Waypoint GA2461

Captain Charles Sturt's Boat

Sturt wanted to settle the debate as to whether there was an inland sea and he was driven to be the first European to stand in the centre of the continent. In August 1844 Sturt and a party of 15 men, 200 sheep, six drays and a boat set out to explore north-western New South Wales and to advance into central Australia.

His party consisted of James Poole, Dr J Harris Browne, John McDouall Stuart, Louis Piesse, Daniel Brock, George Davenport, Joseph Cowley, Robert Flood, D Morgan, J Jones, Turpin, W Lewis, H Foulkes, J Mack, J Kirby, and R Sullivan.  Equipment included a boat for travelling on the inland sea that Sturt still hoped to find, and a flock of 200 sheep - meat on the hoof.  Edward Eyre accompanied them in the early stages of their journey.

They travelled along the Murray River and Darling River before passing the future site of Broken Hill, but were then stranded for months by the extreme summer conditions  at Depot Glen, near the present site of Milparinka.

They went as far north as Fort Grey (on the NSW QLD Border) and explored the area for a while, then returned to Adelaide. The whale-boat was finally abandoned at Depot Glen - there had been no inland sea for it to sail on.  Instead it was floated on the creek. 

There is a replica of Sturt's whaleboat in Tibooburra Pioneer Park.

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