Edmund Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Edmund Besley Court Kennedy (5 September 1818 – 23 December 1848) was an explorer in Australia
in the mid nineteenth century. He was the Assistant-Surveyor of New South Wales
, working with Sir Thomas Mitchell. Kennedy explored the interior of Queensland
and northern New South Wales
, including the Thomson River, the Barcoo River
, Cooper Creek
, and Cape York Peninsula
.
Kennedy was born on 5 September 1818 on Guernsey
in the Channel Islands
. He emigrated from England
to New South Wales in 1840 becoming a surveyor. Kennedy died in December 1848 after being speared by Aborigines in far north Queensland
near Cape York
.
. The expedition was unsuccessful, but they did discover the Victoria Stream
and returned to Sydney in January.
on 7 February 1848.
On his last expedition, Kennedy was sent to the far north of Australia to attack the problem of finding an overland route from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Sydney again.
On 29 April 1848 Edmund Kennedy and his men sailed out of Sydney Harbour
in the barque Tam O' Shanter in company with the survey ship HMS Rattlesnake
, for the journey to Rockingham Bay. Once landed, the party encountered terrible terrain such as mangrove swamps, mountains, lagoons, rivers, and thick rainforest that made it almost impossible to travel. After two months, they had only travelled about 20 miles into the interior.
The expedition separated into two groups. One group stayed behind, and the other group went north to meet the supply ship. On the way to the ship, one man accidentally shot himself and could not continue, so two men were left to help him. Kennedy and a young aboriginal man in the expedition called Jackey Jackey
went on to try to find the ship. Kennedy was killed by aborigines near Cape York. He was 20 miles from the ship. Jackey Jackey made it to the supply ship alone on 23 December 1848. Jackey Jackey held Kennedy in his arms as he died before showing the sailors where Edmund lay, then sailed back home.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the mid nineteenth century. He was the Assistant-Surveyor of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, working with Sir Thomas Mitchell. Kennedy explored the interior of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, including the Thomson River, the Barcoo River
Barcoo River
The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia that rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas Mitchell in 1846, who named it Victoria Stream...
, Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek is one of the most famous and yet least visited rivers in Australia. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its tributaries and is one of three major Queensland river systems that flow into the Lake Eyre Basin...
, and Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
.
Kennedy was born on 5 September 1818 on Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. He emigrated from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to New South Wales in 1840 becoming a surveyor. Kennedy died in December 1848 after being speared by Aborigines in far north Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
near Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
.
First expedition
Kennedy was chosen to be on Thomas Mitchell's expedition to the interior of Queensland. They left in November 1845, to find an overland route to the Gulf of CarpentariaGulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
. The expedition was unsuccessful, but they did discover the Victoria Stream
Barcoo River
The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia that rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas Mitchell in 1846, who named it Victoria Stream...
and returned to Sydney in January.
Second expedition
In 1847 Kennedy led an expedition to discover whether the Victoria Stream led north to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The expedition left on 13 March 1847 and followed the river north to Cooper Creek, which flowed into the desert, proving it was not linked to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Kennedy renamed the Victoria Stream, calling it the Barcoo River. The expedition returned to SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 7 February 1848.
Last expedition
On 29 April 1848 Edmund Kennedy and his men sailed out of Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
in the barque Tam O' Shanter in company with the survey ship HMS Rattlesnake
HMS Rattlesnake (1822)
HMS Rattlesnake was an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette of the Royal Navy launched in 1822. She made a historic voyage of discovery to the Cape York and Torres Strait areas of northern Australia.-Construction:...
, for the journey to Rockingham Bay. Once landed, the party encountered terrible terrain such as mangrove swamps, mountains, lagoons, rivers, and thick rainforest that made it almost impossible to travel. After two months, they had only travelled about 20 miles into the interior.
The expedition separated into two groups. One group stayed behind, and the other group went north to meet the supply ship. On the way to the ship, one man accidentally shot himself and could not continue, so two men were left to help him. Kennedy and a young aboriginal man in the expedition called Jackey Jackey
Jackey Jackey
William Westwood was often referred to as a "gentleman bushranger" because of his dress and respect for his victims. He got the name 'Jackey Jackey' from the aboriginal people...
went on to try to find the ship. Kennedy was killed by aborigines near Cape York. He was 20 miles from the ship. Jackey Jackey made it to the supply ship alone on 23 December 1848. Jackey Jackey held Kennedy in his arms as he died before showing the sailors where Edmund lay, then sailed back home.
Newspapers
- The Moreton Bay Courier (31 March 1849) "The Late Mr. Kennedy's Expedition" Accessed 8 May 2010
- The Sydney Morning Herald (1 October 1949) " Tree Marks A Tragedy And Solves A Mystery: Until this tree was discovered no evidence of the route taken by Edmund Kennedy on his expedition of 1848 had ever been found" Accessed 8 May 2010
External links
- "Portrait of Edmund B. Kennedy, the Government surveyor", at National Library of Australia's Digital Collections Accessed 8 May 2010
- Carron, William (1849) "Narrative of an expedition undertaken under the direction of the late Mr. Assistant Surveyor E. B. Kennedy, for the exploration of the country lying between Rockingham Bay and Cape York;, one of the survivors of the expedition" Accessed 8 May 2010
- Voyage of the H.M.S. Rattlesnake
- Roma Reilly's Australian Explorers 'Edmund Kennedy' webpage (with photos and map from Bank of New South Wales (1965) "Sixteen Explorers Of Australia" ) Accessed 13 May 2010