Flinders Ranges of South Australia

Edward John Eyre - Mountain Chain is Named

		The issue of "The South Australian Gazette", dated Thursday July 11, 1839, contains the publication of a copy of a letter which Governor Gawler, as resident Commissioner, wrote to Colonel Torrens in London, together with copy of a report dated July 2, made to the Colonial Secretary, Robert Gouger, by the explorer Edward John Eyre.

		In this report, Eyre tells of "the result of a few weeks tour in the interior, undertaken with a view, in the first instance, of examining the nature of the country to the northward of Spencer Gulf, and secondly, with the intention of ascertaining the practicability of an overland route to Port Lincoln.

		On May 1, 1839, Eyre left Adelaide with a party of five, two horse teams and with supplies calculated to last them nearly three months. He described the course they had taken until "in about latitude 33^o 18' the party passed under the base of some high, bare hills rising abruptly from the level of the land around, and forming the commencement of the range running to the head of Spencer gulf, in which Mount Brown and Mount Arden are situated".

		As they advance further northward, the country gradually became more barren and the intervals between the water much greater and more difficult to access. Reaching the head of Spencer Gulf, about sixteen miles beyond which he encamped his party for seven days, he examined the nature of the surrounding country.

		That journey overland was the first undertaken by any white man going beyond Flinders landing at the head of the gulf. May 18, 1939, was the first time Eyre made use of the Depot near Mount Arden, to which he reluctantly retraced his steps after exploring 36 miles northwards, experiencing difficulty with horses greatly reduced from the want of food and water.

		Eyre climbed a high, dark looking range standing by itself, nearly at right angles from which he had his first glimpse of what was the dry and glazed bed of Lake Torrens. Examinations about fifty miles to the south-west from the Depot showed the wretched state of the country and no hope of opening a route to Port Lincoln in such a dry season.

		Eyre could not easily distinguish Mount Arden from the many high summits around but Mount Brown he at once recognised. He ascended neither of those heights but was upon several others of equal elevation at different parts of the tier.

		The letter of Governor Gawler mentions "the small range, at the northerly limit of Eyre's journey which I have named Mount Eyre". More important is the Governor's statement that "no view was obtained to the eastward of the long range of which Mount Brown and Arden are prominent points, and which I have named Flinders Range, which commenced in 33^o 18' and appeared to the extent of vision to the northwards".

		Eyre arrived back in Adelaide on June 29, 1839 and within a few days of his return sailed for Port Lincoln and then travelled overland to the Streaky Bay area. Examination of country northwards not being encouraging, Eyre and party pushed eastward. Rain having fallen, he was able to reach his former Depot near Mount Arden on September 29, 1839, discovering and naming the Gawler ranges en route. On his return to Adelaide he again made no mention of noticing the unusual peak of Mount Remarkable.