John McDouall Stuart’s return crossing of the continent
In 1862 an expedition led by John McDouall Stuart completed the first successful south-north crossing of the continent.
Stuart was one of the most accomplished and most famous of Australia’s inland explorers.
His explorations enabled the construction of the Adelaide to Darwin telegraph line and the main route from Port Augusta to Darwin (Stuart Highway).
Image: John McDouall Stuart planting the Union Jack on Central Mount Stuart, J. McFarlane (1860), National Library of Australia