ADELAIDE, SA. — John McDouall Stuart was a Scottish-born explorer who was determined to cross Australia from south to north. Stuart led a total of six expeditions into Australia’s interior, with five of them being attempts to be the first to cross the continent from south to north, commencing from Adelaide.
He succeeded on his fifth attempt, reaching the northern waters at Chambers Bay in July 1862.
There were unofficial reports that John McKinlay of South Australia and William Landsborough of Queensland had each crossed Australia from south to north whilst independently searching for the missing Burke and Wills party; however, Stuart was officially the first person to successfully cross the Australian continent from south to north, and return alive.
On his fifth and final attempt, he discovered rich pasture land in the Northern Territory, together with the rivers leading into the northern waters.
On July 8, 1862, he named the Katherine River after the daughter of wealthy landowner James Chambers, who helped to finance Stuart’s expeditions.
