Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition (1896)

Summary

The Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition was intended to explore all those parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory not covered by the 1891 Elder Expedition, mostly parts of the Great Sandy Desert. It was funded by English engineer Albert Frederick Calvert (whose local agent was Alexander Magarey) and under the auspices of the South Australian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia. Led by Lawrence Wells, the Expedition left Mullewa, Western Australia, on 13 June 1896, reaching Lake Carnegie in late July. From there they pushed north, in two parties, both of which suffered from lack of water. The camels also suffered from eating poisonous plants and became exhausted from crossing sandhills. The main party under L. Wells reached the Fitzroy River in November and was able to send word to Adelaide. Search parties were organised, in which L. Wells took part, to find Charles Wells and George Jones, members of the second party. Their bodies were ultimately discovered in 1897: they had died of thirst and extreme heat. Although some of the collected specimens of Keartland and Jones were abandoned in the field, scientific results of the Expedition were published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, while other collected specimens and native artifacts were exhibited at the Society's meetings.

Details

Members of the Expedition were:
Lawrence Allen Wells (1860 - 1938) leader and surveyor;
Charles Frederick Wells (1849 - 1896) second in command (and cousin of Lawrence);
George Lindsay Jones (1878 - 1896) mineralogist and photographer;
George Keartland (1848 - 1926) naturalist;
James Trainor, cook;
Dervish Bejah and Said Ameer, camel drivers.

Chronology

13 June 1896

Event - Departed Mullewa. Western Australia

27 July 1896

Event - Reached Lake Carnegie, Western Australia

14 September 1896

Event - Departed from base camp, in 2 parties

4 November 1896

Event - Main party reached Fitzroy River

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Wells, L., Journal of the Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1896-7 : equipped at the request and expense of Albert F. Calvert, Esq., F.R.G.S., London for the purpose of exploring the remaining blanks of Australia (Perth: Government Printer, 1902), 62 pp. Details

Edited Books

• Hill, J. G. ed., The Calvert Scientific Exploring Expedition (London: George Philip & Son, 1905), 44 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Cramer, Rod, 'The Calvert Centenary Project: re-examining the 1896 Calvert Exploring Expedition', South Australian geographical journal, 97 (1998), 51-60. Details
• North, Alfred J.; Keartland, G. A., 'List of birds collected by the Calvert Exploring Expedition in Western Australia', Transactions and proceedings and report of the Royal Society of South Australia, 22 (1898), 125-192. Details
• Tate, Ralph, 'A list of plants collected by the Calvert Expedition', Transactions and proceedings and report of the Royal Society of South Australia, 21 (1897), 69-71, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42785505. Details
• Wells, L. A., 'Abstract of journal of explorations in Western Australia, 1896 - 1897', Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch, 3 (1898), 149-71. Details

Newspaper Articles

• Anon., 'The Calvert Exploring Expedition (illustrated)', Leader (Melbourne) (1896), 7-8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198013202. Details

See also

• Feeken, Erwin H. J.; Feeken, Gerda E. E.; and Spate, O. H. K., The discovery and exploration of Australia (Melbourne: Thomas Nelson (Australia), 1970), 318 pp. Details
• Steele, Wilfred and Steele, Christopher, To the great Gulf: the surveys and explorations of L. A. Wells, last Australian explorer 1860 - 1938 (Blackwood, S.A.: Lynton Publications, 1978), 144 pp. Details