Historical Feature - Freidrich Wilhelm Leichhardt

Freidrich Wilhelm LEICHHARDT 1813-1848

At first sight, Leichhardt was terribly unsuited to exploring. Known as Ludwig, he had poor eyesight, no knowledge of how to use a gun and few skills as a bushman. Yet his second expedition, lasting fifteen months, still stands as an epic of Australian exploration.

His party travelled 4,800 kilometers from Darling Downs to Port Essington (in Darwin). Supported only by a few private subscriptions, they set out from Jimbour Station in October, 1844.

The group's competence apparently mirrored that of Leichhardt. There were two youths, a young Englishman, a middle-aged prisoner, a young squatter and two Aboriginals, one a blacktracker.

The only European with a practical knowledge of bushmanship was John Gilbert, a naturalist who had been working with the renowned ornithologist, John Gould. However, he was killed during an Aboriginal attack in June, 1845.

Their arrival in Port Essington in December, 1845 was quite a surprise, for they had long been given up for dead.

In fact, three people had perished and they had endured unbelievable hardships, but they had travelled through the most rugged parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory. They had also discovered several notable rivers and much arable land.

Leichhardt set off again in 1846, planning to travel across Australia's north and down the west coast to Perth. His party turned back after only 800 kilometres due to illness, bad weather and disagreements.

Undeterred, Leichhardt found sponsorship for another expedition. It departed from the Condamine River in 1848 and included four white men, two Aborigines, seven horses, twenty mules and fifty bullocks, none of which were ever seen again.

Source: Certificate accompanying the 1994 Masterpieces in Silver - The Explorers - Set.

Freidrich Wilhelm Leichhardt is featured on the following Australian coins:

1994 Five Dollars