Sturt of the Murray: Father of Australian Exploration by Michael Langley

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Wear to book edges and corners, with corners now reinforced with book tape. Foxing to foredges and inside covers. Some pages have been dog-eared at tail. Binding is still very good.

Michael Langley first published this book in 1968 with two aims. Firstly it was published to mark the centenary death of Charles Napier Sturt (1795 - 1869) and secondly, to provide a comprehensive biography of Sturt, who Langley considered an "undeniably great pioneer".

Driven by the dream of an inland sea, Charles Sturt traced the courses of the Macquarie, Bogan and Castlereagh rivers, then discovered the Darling River and followed the Murray to Lake Alexandrina on the South Australian coast. In charting the drainage of the country’s greatest river system, he found huge tracts of arable land.

Respected and liked by the men under him, Sturt prided himself on his treatment of Aboriginal people, not one of whom was harmed in his explorations, despite many threats of attack. (Australian Museum)