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for Burke and Wills. In 1863 he explored areas of land west of the Darling, and in 1865 he was accompanied by
William Henry Tietkens who was to be his second-in-command on two of his journeys of exploration.
Whilst in Melbourne he had got to know Baron Ferdinand von Mueller who chose Giles to lead a privately
financed party, which would try to reach the Murchison River in Western Australia from the overland telegraph
line in Central Australia. The small party consisted of Ernest Giles, Samuel Carmichael and Alexander Robinson.
The cost of the venture was borne by von Mueller and Giles’s brother-in-law, George Gill.
The party arrived at the Charlotte Waters Telegraph Station on 4 August 1872. After a week there they proceeded
north to the Finke River, which they followed, and on 2 September reached a beautiful gorge which Giles named
the Glen of Palms. He named the range of hills in which it is situated the Krichauff Range. Having cleared the hills
and crossed the plains beyond, he was prevented from penetrating the MacDonnell Ranges because the river was
in flood at Glen Helen Gap.
Giles turned westward following Rudall’s Creek, which he named, and the party continued northwestward,
reaching Mt Udor on 21 September 1872. After he had travelled 75 kilometres beyond it and had found no water,
he was forced to retreat. Instead of retracing his steps he turned toward the southeast and after three days hard
travelling came to a small oasis, which he named Glen Edith after his niece. He also referred to it as the ‘Tarn of
Auber’. Robinson was left there whilst the two leaders searched the hills to the south-west They eventually found
water in a creek surrounded by good grass and so impressed was Giles with the scenery he called it ‘The Vale of
Tempe’. On 15 October the camp was shifted there from Glen Edith.
Once again Giles and Carmichael set off to look for a suitable base while Robinson stayed behind.
Going southwestward they could see a high mountain some distance to the south. Giles named it Mt Mueller, but
von Mueller later changed the name to Mt Olga after Queen Olga of Wuttemburg. Convinced there would be water
at the base of the mountain, Gilles was determined to reach it, but was frustrated by an enormous salt lake in which
his horses were twice bogged. This was later named by von Mueller Lake Amadeus after the King of Spain.
The two men were forced to retreat through lack of water and would have perished if they had not been able
to dig frantically for water at Glen Thirsty in Worral’s Pass. On the way Giles suggested to Carmichael that, as
their supplies were limited, they should send Robinson back to the telegraph line accompanying him part of the
way and then turning south to get around Lake Amadeus. At first Carmichael agreed, then informed Giles he was
withdrawing from the expedition.
On the return journey some quite good country was discovered along the George Gill Range, named by Giles
for his brother-in-law. On the journey east there was an abundance of water in Kings Creek, Petermann Creek
and the Palmer River, all of which were named by Giles. Despite his disappointment in not being able to continue
in the field, Giles determined to mount a second expedition which, with the help of his patron and money from
the South Australian government, he was able to do in 1873. He was further spurred on by the knowledge that
William Christie Gosse and Colonel Peter Egerton Warburton were about to attempt the crossing to the west.
On 4 August 1873 Giles, with his friend William Henry Tietkens, Alfred Gibson and a 15-year-old boy,
Jimmy Andrews, with 24 horses set out from the junction of the Alberga and Stevenson creeks, which lies
150 kilometres south of Charlotte Waters. They followed the Alberga for three days then northwestward until they
reached the Hamilton Creek. They traced it to its source in some hills, which Giles named the Anthony Range.
Seeing a tangle of ranges to the west the party made for them and for two weeks passed through beautiful country.
On 4 September he discovered a river and a glen both of which he named Ferdinand after his patron.
When he reached the end of the range he called in von Mueller Range, unaware that Gosse had already named
it Musgrave Ranges. Here he saw again Mt Olga, and at once made for it thinking the road to the west was now
open to him. When he reached the foot of Mt Olga on 14 September he was dismayed to find the tracks of horses,
camels and drays. His first impulse was to terminate the expedition, but he rallied and decided to follow Gosse and
pass him. Gosse’s tracks led him to the Mann Range past Stevenson’s Peak. He turned west through well-watered
country at the foot of some bare rugged hills he named the Tomkinson Range.
Giles was elated when on 6 October he crossed Gosse’s tracks heading east. He pressed on with determination
staying at a place he was later to call Fort Mueller. Continuing west into more arid country he was fortunate enough
to find some native wells that he called Shoeing Camp, for the horses needed to be shod. Beyond that there was no
water, so the party retreated to Fort Mueller. Though attacked by natives he pressed on but without success. In the
New Year they at last left Fort Mueller and finally reached the Rawlinson Range, named by Giles for the President
of the Royal Geographical Society. At the foot of a waterfall he called the Alice Falls was a good creek, which was
named Sladen Water where today, close by, is the Giles meteorological station.
Along the range at a waterhole he called Fort McKellar Giles established a depot. The country westward was
arid so Giles decided to head for a high mountain to the northeast. There was no water, four of the horses died
from heat and thirst, and the men were exhausted. Justifiably he named the mountain Mt Destruction. On 8 April
the camp was shifted from Sladen Water to Fort McKellar, and plans were made to attempt to cross the desert.
Taking Gibson, ample smoked horseflesh and water, Giles set out. Next day the horses were given water and the
two men set off. The day following, they departed at daybreak, heading for hills they called the Alfred and Marie
Ranges. On the way Gibson’s horse dropped dead, thereby demanding that the two men attempt to return at once to
the depot. Taking turns to ride Giles’ horse, ‘Fair Maid of Perth’, they made slow progress. Realising they would
both perish if they continued, Giles instructed Gibson to return to Fort McKellar and bring help). Giles continued
on foot carrying a keg of water, and was appalled to find after 25 kilometres Gibson had turned from the outgoing
track. He staggered on, and on the sixth day drank the last of his water whilst still thirty kilometres from the Circus
Waterhole. At dawn he reached water, tested a few hours then dragged himself up to walk to Fort McKellar. Only a
man with an iron will could have completed the arduous journey. Tietkens was amazed to be awakened by his