John King: an Ulster explorer who became the first person to cross Australia

Phoenix, David (2012) John King: an Ulster explorer who became the first person to cross Australia. Queensland History Journal, 21 (8). pp. 510-521.

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Abstract

John King was a young man from Ulster whose life changed forever after a chance meeting in India. He arrived in Australia with no aspirations of being an explorer. Nevertheless he became the first person to cross Australia from north to south and became an reluctant hero as a result. His loyalty to Burke secured him a trusted position in charge of the expedition's camels, and camels allowed Burke to explore in a style that no one had been able to attempt previously. At the age of 21, after being in Australia for only ten weeks, John King set off with Burke to walk from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria and back. His story is intertwined with that of the camels, the first to be used on a major Australian exploring expedition.

Item ID: 50829
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1836-5477
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Date Deposited: 03 Oct 2017 01:17
FoR Codes: 21 HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY > 2103 Historical Studies > 210303 Australian History (excl Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History) @ 100%
SEO Codes: 95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9505 Understanding Past Societies > 950503 Understanding Australias Past @ 100%
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