1 NTRODUCTION 



TiiK scieiititic cxpldi-aticm of Cciitnil Austi-;ilia, more particularly that [imLiou 

 kiiuvvti as tliij Mcl)()iiui'll Ranges, had for many years been desired l)y the Icadirii;' 

 scientitic men in Australia, some of whom hold the opinion that when the rest of 

 the continent was submerged the elevated portions of tlie McDonnell llange 

 existed as an island, and that consequently older forms of life might he found in 

 the more inaccessible parts. Tra\'(^llers' tales als(j of the maimers and customs of 

 the natives, and the varieties of plants and animal life in these remote regions, had 

 aroused a widespi'ead interest, and at the solicitation of a few scientific friends I 

 I'esolved to organise antl e(|uip a party, composed of scientific men, to thoroughly 

 explore this belt of country. The pi'oposition was received with great favour in 

 Australia, and numerous applications were made, and even premiums ottered, by 

 gcuitlenien anxicnis to join the Expedition. The failure, however of previous 

 Expeditions made it necessary to exercise great care in the .selection of the xa.rious 

 members, so as to avoid the disasters, in the shape of internal dissensions, which 

 had wrecked the others. In order to secure the ser\ices (jf the best men in 

 Australia I decided t(j make it a semi-national undertaking, and to this end 

 invitations were extended to the Premiers of the principal Colonies, asking them 

 to nominate scientific repi'esentatives. 



The Premiers of the Colonies of Victoria, New South Wales, and South 

 Australia responded most cordially. Victoria, partly through the generous inllu- 

 ence of Lord Hopetoun, nominated Professor Baldwin Spencer, of the Melbourne 

 University. New South Wales nominated Mr. J. Alexander Watt, of the Sydney 

 University, and South Austi-alia nominated Professor Ralph Tate, F.L.S., and J)r. 

 Edward Stirling, F.R.S., both of the Adelaide University. Mr. C. A. Winnecke, 

 F.R.G.S., was chosen as the surveyor and meteorologist, and the fact that, in 

 adtlition to jjiloting the party to such points as they wished to visit, this gentleman 

 travei'sed and plotted about 27,000 square miles of country, and also made a series 

 of valuable meteorological observations, speaks for itself. 



The general public were for some time under the impression that the Expedi- 

 tion was going out in search of gold. They could not understand a body of 

 scientific gentlemen going into a desei't country, giving up their time and sei'vices, 

 and submitting to all the dangers, discomforts and hardships attendant ujiou the 

 life for ;iny other reason. There is no doubt that had one of the coUoclors in 



