Ernest Giles
Encyclopedia
William Ernest Powell Giles (7 July 1835 – 13 November 1897), best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led three major expeditions in central Australia
.
, England, son of William Giles, a merchant, and Jane Elizabeth, née Powell. Giles was educated at Christ's Hospital
school, Newgate, London. At the age of 15, he emigrated to Australia, joining his parents and took up residence in Adelaide
, South Australia
. In 1852 Giles went to the Victorian
goldfields, then obtained a position in the General Post Office, Melbourne
, and afterwards one in the county court. Soon tiring of town life Giles went to the back country and obtained valuable experience as a bushman; he was exploring on the Darling River
in 1861, looking for pastoral country. He was searching for land capable of cultivating hemp, as it was valuable for rope at the time.
, South Australia (now in the Northern Territory
), around the middle of August and traversed much previously untrodden country to the north-west and west. Finding their way barred by Lake Amadeus
and that their horses were getting very weak, a return was made to the Finke River
and thence to Charlotte Waters and Adelaide, where Giles arrived in January 1873. Giles looked upon his expedition as a failure, but he had done well considering the size and equipment of his party.
raised a subscription so that a new expedition could be made. The services of William Henry Tietkins
as first assistant was obtained, and with two other men a start was made on 4 August 1873. The journey began considerably south from the previous expedition and from the Alberga River a generally western course was traversed. A month later in the Musgrave Ranges
a fine running river was found and named the Ferdinand and by 3 October 1873 the party was approaching longitude
128 East. The country was extremely dry and though tested in various directions it was a constant struggle to get enough water to keep the horses going. Early in November, having passed longitude 126, a partial return was made and on 20 December 1873 the neighbourhood of Mount Scott was reached. A turn to the north and then west was made and the farthest westerly point was reached on 23 April 1874. Giles and one of the men, Alfred Gibson
, had been scouting ahead when the latter's horse died. Giles gave him his own horse with instructions to follow their tracks back and obtain assistance. Giles made his way back to their depot on foot in eight days, almost completely exhausted, to find that Gibson had not reached the camp. A search was made for him for several days without success. The stores were almost finished, nothing further could be done, and on 21 May 1874 the return journey began. Giles named the desert Gibson Desert
after his companion. On 24 June 1874 they were on a good track to the Finke River
and on 13 July 1874 Charlotte Waters
was reached. Giles had again failed to cross the continent, but in the circumstances all had been done that was possible.
Giles was the first European to see the rock formations of The Olgas, now known by their Aboriginal
name of Kata Tjuta
, and Lake Amadeus. He had wanted to name these Mt Mueller and Lake Ferdinand respectively, to honour his benefactor Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, however Mueller prevailed on him to instead honour the King Amadeus of Spain and Queen Olga of Württemberg. Giles supposedly discovered Uluru
(formerly Ayers Rock), but was beaten to the claim by a competing explorer, William Gosse
.
Early in 1875 Giles prepared his diaries for publication under the title Geographic Travels in Central Australia, and on 13 March 1875, with the generous help of Sir Thomas Elder
, he began his third expedition. Proceeding considerably to the north from Fowler's Bay
the country was found to be very dry. Retracing his steps Giles turned east, and eventually going round the north side of Lake Torrens
reached Elder's station at Beltana
. There the preparations for his fourth journey were made, and with Tietkins again his lieutenant, and with what Giles had always wanted, a caravan of camels, a start was made on 6 May. Port Augusta
was reached on 23 May and, after taking a northerly course to clear the lakes, a generally westerly course was followed. Some water was carried, and the party was saved the continual excursions in search of water for horses that had caused so much difficulty to the previous expeditions. Towards the end of September over 320 miles had been covered without finding a drop of water, when almost by accident on 17 September a supply was found in a small hollow at Queen Victoria Spring and the party was saved. After a rest of nine days the journey was resumed on 6 October the course being still west. Ten days later the expedition was attacked by a large body of aborigines and Giles was compelled to fire on them. On 4 November they met a white stockman at Tootra out-camp, east of Bindi Bindi. Their course was west to Walebing Station
, then south-west and on 11 November they arrived at New Norcia where they were welcomed by Bishop Salvado
. On 17 November 1875 the party arrived at Guildford and Perth the next day, where they had an enthusiastic reception.
Giles stayed for two months at Perth. Tietkins and Jess Young
, another member of the expedition, went back to Adelaide by sea, and on 13 January 1876 Giles began the return journey taking a course generally about 400 miles north of the last journey. He arrived at Adelaide in September 1876 after a good journey during which the camels were found to be invaluable.
In 1880 he published The Journal of a Forgotten Expedition, being an account of his third expedition, then in 1889 appeared Australia Twice Traversed: The Romance of Exploration in two substantial volumes. This gives an account of his five expeditions. He made a number of other minor journeys and his last years were spent as a clerk in the Inspector of Mines' office at Coolgardie
, where his great knowledge of the interior was always available for prospectors. Giles was made a fellow and awarded the Patron's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
in 1880 and was made Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Corona d'Italia (Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy
) by King Vittorio Emanuele II.
Despite his explorations, the various Australian governments at the time turned their respective backs on his achievements once they had been completed, and refused to patronise any further exploits or give him much in the way of financial reward. Governor Sir William Jervois
claimed on 11 October 1881, 'I am informed that he gambles and that his habits are not always strictly sober'.
After a short illness Giles died of pneumonia
at his nephew's house in Coolgardie on 13 November 1897 and was buried at the Coolgardie Cemetery. He was unmarried. It was reported at the time:
H. H. Finlayson in The Red Centre: man and beast in the heart of Australia (1935) said of Giles:
In 1976 he was honoured on a postage stamp
bearing his portrait issued by Australia Post
.
Mount Giles
, the third highest mountain in the Northern Territory, and the Giles Weather Station
, near the Western Australian-South Australian border, were named after him.
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
.
Early life
Ernest Giles was born in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England, son of William Giles, a merchant, and Jane Elizabeth, née Powell. Giles was educated at Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
school, Newgate, London. At the age of 15, he emigrated to Australia, joining his parents and took up residence in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. In 1852 Giles went to the Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
goldfields, then obtained a position in the General Post Office, Melbourne
General Post Office, Melbourne
The Melbourne General Post Office , is a former post office in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, and afterwards one in the county court. Soon tiring of town life Giles went to the back country and obtained valuable experience as a bushman; he was exploring on the Darling River
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
in 1861, looking for pastoral country. He was searching for land capable of cultivating hemp, as it was valuable for rope at the time.
Exploration
Giles didn't attempt a regular exploring expedition until 1872, when with two other men he left Chambers pillarChambers pillar
Chambers Pillar is a sandstone formation some 160 km south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia...
, South Australia (now in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
), around the middle of August and traversed much previously untrodden country to the north-west and west. Finding their way barred by Lake Amadeus
Lake Amadeus
Lake Amadeus is a huge salt lake in the southwest corner of Australia's Northern Territory, about 50 km north of .-Physical features and nearby landmarks:...
and that their horses were getting very weak, a return was made to the Finke River
Finke River
The Finke River is one of the largest rivers in central Australia. Its source is in the Northern Territory's MacDonnell Ranges, and the name Finke River is first applied at the confluence of the Davenport and Ormiston Creeks, just north of Glen Helen. From here the river meanders for approximately...
and thence to Charlotte Waters and Adelaide, where Giles arrived in January 1873. Giles looked upon his expedition as a failure, but he had done well considering the size and equipment of his party.
Second expedition
Giles' friend Baron von MuellerFerdinand von Mueller
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...
raised a subscription so that a new expedition could be made. The services of William Henry Tietkins
William Henry Tietkins
William Harry Tietkins , explorer and naturalist, was born in England.Tietkins accompanied Ernest Giles on an expedition to Central Australia in 1873 and again in 1875 on a journey from Beltana, South Australia to Perth, Western Australia. He later joined the New South Wales Department of Lands as...
as first assistant was obtained, and with two other men a start was made on 4 August 1873. The journey began considerably south from the previous expedition and from the Alberga River a generally western course was traversed. A month later in the Musgrave Ranges
Musgrave Ranges
Musgrave Ranges is a mountain range in Central Australia, straddling the boundary of South Australia and the Northern Territory , extending into Western Australia. It is between the Great Victoria Desert to the south and the Gibson Desert to the north...
a fine running river was found and named the Ferdinand and by 3 October 1873 the party was approaching longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
128 East. The country was extremely dry and though tested in various directions it was a constant struggle to get enough water to keep the horses going. Early in November, having passed longitude 126, a partial return was made and on 20 December 1873 the neighbourhood of Mount Scott was reached. A turn to the north and then west was made and the farthest westerly point was reached on 23 April 1874. Giles and one of the men, Alfred Gibson
Alfred Gibson
Alfred Gibson was an Australian explorer who died in an 1874 expedition organised by Ernest Giles that sought to cross the deserts of Western Australia from east to west...
, had been scouting ahead when the latter's horse died. Giles gave him his own horse with instructions to follow their tracks back and obtain assistance. Giles made his way back to their depot on foot in eight days, almost completely exhausted, to find that Gibson had not reached the camp. A search was made for him for several days without success. The stores were almost finished, nothing further could be done, and on 21 May 1874 the return journey began. Giles named the desert Gibson Desert
Gibson Desert
The Gibson Desert covers a large dry area in the state of Western Australia and is still largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the 5th largest desert in Australia, after the Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Tanami and Simpson deserts.-Location and description:The Gibson...
after his companion. On 24 June 1874 they were on a good track to the Finke River
Finke River
The Finke River is one of the largest rivers in central Australia. Its source is in the Northern Territory's MacDonnell Ranges, and the name Finke River is first applied at the confluence of the Davenport and Ormiston Creeks, just north of Glen Helen. From here the river meanders for approximately...
and on 13 July 1874 Charlotte Waters
Charlotte Waters, Northern Territory
Charlotte Waters, Northern Territory, is located close to the South Australian border.It was located in 1871 by surveyors McMinn and Knuckey during construction of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. It was named for Lady Charlotte Bacon....
was reached. Giles had again failed to cross the continent, but in the circumstances all had been done that was possible.
Giles was the first European to see the rock formations of The Olgas, now known by their Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
name of Kata Tjuta
Kata Tjuta
Kata Tjuta, sometimes written Tjuṯa , and also known as Mount Olga , are a group of large domed rock formations or bornhardts located about southwest of Alice Springs, in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia...
, and Lake Amadeus. He had wanted to name these Mt Mueller and Lake Ferdinand respectively, to honour his benefactor Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, however Mueller prevailed on him to instead honour the King Amadeus of Spain and Queen Olga of Württemberg. Giles supposedly discovered Uluru
Uluru
Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
(formerly Ayers Rock), but was beaten to the claim by a competing explorer, William Gosse
William Gosse
William Christie Gosse , explorer, was born in Hertfordshire, England and migrated to Australia with his father in 1850. He was educated at J.L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution and in 1859 he entered the Government service of South Australia. He held various positions in the survey...
.
Third and fourth expeditions
Thomas Elder
Sir Thomas Elder GCMG was a Scottish-Australian pastoralist, highly successful businessman, philanthropist, politician, race-horse owner and breeder and public figure...
, he began his third expedition. Proceeding considerably to the north from Fowler's Bay
Fowlers Bay, South Australia
Fowlers Bay, formerly Yalata, is a small coastal town in South Australia, located approximately north west of the state capital, Adelaide. Situated on the Nullarbor Plain, it was once an active port and a gateway to the western reaches of the continent, but fell into decline in the 1960s...
the country was found to be very dry. Retracing his steps Giles turned east, and eventually going round the north side of Lake Torrens
Lake Torrens
Lake Torrens is a salt lake in central South Australia. It is located in the Lake Torrens National Park....
reached Elder's station at Beltana
Beltana, South Australia
Beltana is a semi-ghost town north of Adelaide, South Australia. Beltana is known for continuing to exist long after the reasons for its existence had ceased...
. There the preparations for his fourth journey were made, and with Tietkins again his lieutenant, and with what Giles had always wanted, a caravan of camels, a start was made on 6 May. Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
was reached on 23 May and, after taking a northerly course to clear the lakes, a generally westerly course was followed. Some water was carried, and the party was saved the continual excursions in search of water for horses that had caused so much difficulty to the previous expeditions. Towards the end of September over 320 miles had been covered without finding a drop of water, when almost by accident on 17 September a supply was found in a small hollow at Queen Victoria Spring and the party was saved. After a rest of nine days the journey was resumed on 6 October the course being still west. Ten days later the expedition was attacked by a large body of aborigines and Giles was compelled to fire on them. On 4 November they met a white stockman at Tootra out-camp, east of Bindi Bindi. Their course was west to Walebing Station
Walebing, Western Australia
Walebing is a small town in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Located at in the Shire of Moora, it takes its name from the original homestead established by Anthony O'Grady Lefroy in the 1840s....
, then south-west and on 11 November they arrived at New Norcia where they were welcomed by Bishop Salvado
Rosendo Salvado
Dom Rosendo Salvado Rotea OSB was a Benedictine monk, missionary, bishop, and bestselling author, as well as the founder and first Abbot of New Norcia, in Western Australia.-Early life:...
. On 17 November 1875 the party arrived at Guildford and Perth the next day, where they had an enthusiastic reception.
Giles stayed for two months at Perth. Tietkins and Jess Young
Jess Young
Jess Young was an explorer who accompanied Ernest Giles during his fourth expedition, making some important botanical collections along the way.Little is known of his early life; it is not even certain whether "Jess" was a full given name or an abbreviation...
, another member of the expedition, went back to Adelaide by sea, and on 13 January 1876 Giles began the return journey taking a course generally about 400 miles north of the last journey. He arrived at Adelaide in September 1876 after a good journey during which the camels were found to be invaluable.
Late life and legacy
Giles worked as a land classifier in the Western District of Victoria from 1877-79.In 1880 he published The Journal of a Forgotten Expedition, being an account of his third expedition, then in 1889 appeared Australia Twice Traversed: The Romance of Exploration in two substantial volumes. This gives an account of his five expeditions. He made a number of other minor journeys and his last years were spent as a clerk in the Inspector of Mines' office at Coolgardie
Coolgardie, Western Australia
Coolgardie is a small town in the Australian state of Western Australia, east of the state capital, Perth. It has a population of approximately 800 people....
, where his great knowledge of the interior was always available for prospectors. Giles was made a fellow and awarded the Patron's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
in 1880 and was made Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Corona d'Italia (Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
) by King Vittorio Emanuele II.
Despite his explorations, the various Australian governments at the time turned their respective backs on his achievements once they had been completed, and refused to patronise any further exploits or give him much in the way of financial reward. Governor Sir William Jervois
William Jervois
Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, GCMG, CB was a British military engineer who saw service, as Second Captain, in South Africa...
claimed on 11 October 1881, 'I am informed that he gambles and that his habits are not always strictly sober'.
After a short illness Giles died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at his nephew's house in Coolgardie on 13 November 1897 and was buried at the Coolgardie Cemetery. He was unmarried. It was reported at the time:
H. H. Finlayson in The Red Centre: man and beast in the heart of Australia (1935) said of Giles:
In 1976 he was honoured on a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
bearing his portrait issued by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
.
Mount Giles
Mount Giles
Mount Giles is one of the highest mountains in the Northern Territory, Australia, at 1389 metres AHD. It lies along the MacDonnell Ranges, dominating Ormiston Pound, in the West MacDonnell National Park, approximately 80 kilometres west of Alice Springs...
, the third highest mountain in the Northern Territory, and the Giles Weather Station
Giles Weather Station
Giles Weather Station is located in Western Australia near the South Australian border, about West-South-West of Alice Springs and West of Uluru. It is the only staffed weather station within an area of about and is situated mid-continent and near the core of the subtropical jetstream...
, near the Western Australian-South Australian border, were named after him.
External links
- Australia Twice Traversed: The Romance of Exploration at eBooks @ Adelaide
- William Ernest Powell Giles at Flinders Ranges Research