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as the leader of the party that was to blaze the trail for the constructers of the Overland Telegraph. Ross was
appointed to the job in 1870.
Ross mounted three expeditions for the Overland Telegraph project. In general, he followed
John McDouall Stuart’s route north except that portion which passed through the MacDonnell Ranges in Central
Australia. During the first expedition, between 14 August and 13 October 1870, Ross confined his activities to
the east of the MacDonnell Ranges and named the Fergusson Ranges, Phillipson Creek, Giles Creek and the
Todd River. He failed to find a suitable route through the Fergusson Ranges even though he crossed that barrier
on three occasions.
Starting again on the 16 November 1870, Ross again failed to find a suitable route through the MacDonnell
and Fergusson ranges. This time he explored the area to the west of the MacDonnell Ranges, penetrating as far
north as Central Mount Stuart and retrieving a message left there by Stuart. Ross returned to his base camp on
26 January 1871.
Both expeditions had been hampered by water shortages and lack of time. Todd, whilst supporting Ross
publicly, criticised him privately for not following instructions and for faulty planning.
Ross’s third expedition—north to the Roper River—started on 17 March 1871. The surveyor, Harvey, who had
been with Ross on his two previous expeditions was, apparently, not satisfied with the provisions that had arrived
for the enterprise and refused, in writing, to participate. Instead, Harvey started work on his own section of the
Telegraph Line. Alfred Giles’s brother Christopher, a surveyor who was involved in the construction of another
section of the telegraph line, also declined to be involved in the project after a personal appeal from his brother.
Ross’s third expedition was, therefore, conducted without the participation of a surveyor.
During this expedition, Ross passed close to the site of Alice Springs and met the party led by surveyor
W W Mills nearby. Mills later claimed to have discovered the site of Alice Springs. There is no evidence that
either Ross or Alfred Giles, who kept a diary of the expedition, made a similar claim. Ross’s exact route is difficult
to reconstruct—his personal diary was lost and, due to the lack of a surveyor, no accurate map was made.
Ross continued blazing the Overland Telegraph trail north aided only by a compass, a rough tracing of Stuart’s
map and a pencil. By accidentally following a creek to the west of Stuart’s track, he discovered a shortened route
to the Roper River, finally meeting with southbound construction teams at the Katherine River.
After considering the idea of returning to South Australia overland, Ross continued north to Port Darwin,
becoming the second man to cross Australia from coast to coast through the Centre. He and some of the members
of his party were suffering from various ailments, including scurvy, and he had few fit horses left. Despite these
problems, they managed to engage in gold panning—with minor success. Ross returned to Adelaide on SS Omeo,
leaving Palmerston on 1 September 1871.
All Ross’s Overland Telegraph expeditions had been plagued by equipment problems. In particular, the canvas
water bags, which were supplied by the South Australian government, were not watertight. Because of this, a great
deal of time was wasted searching for water.
In 1874, Ross was engaged by Elder to explore country to the west of Lake Eyre and continue on to Perth.
He managed to explore 26 000 square kilometres but was forced back from the Western Australian border by the
arid nature of the country and, according to his son, a distrust of camels.
After engaging in sheep and cattle farming in Victoria and Queensland, Ross is thought to have lived near
Oodnadatta for a period. Ross died, after an illness and a fall on 5 February 1903, penniless and having lost most
of his faculties. At the time, he was living at Norwood, a suburb of Adelaide, with his daughter-in-law. He was
85 years old. A newspaper appeal soliciting financial assistance for him came too late.
Ross married twice. His first marriage, to Rebecca McKinlay Afflack, occurred in the early 1850s and
produced four daughters and two sons. Rebecca Ross died in April 1869. In October 1869, Ross married
Georgina Strongitharm and the union is thought to have produced two daughters. Georgina Ross died in 1880.
Ross amed various mountains in the Macumba district after four of his children (Sarah, Rebecca, Alexander and
John). His elder son, Alexander, accompanied him on his 1874 expedition and accompanied Ernest Giles on his
expedition in 1875.
In many ways, Ross was the forgotten man of Australian exploration. His achievements were considerable.
His exploration was not conducted in the full vigour of youth, but in middle age—he was 53 years old in 1870.
During 1870 and 1871, he was in the vanguard of the Overland Telegraph project; exploration in the Territory
by John Ross and others opened up vast areas of land to graziers and other settlers. Telegraph operators and
maintenance personnel provided an infrastructure of permanent settlement in parts of Australia that would not
have otherwise encouraged further development.
John Ross was said to have been tough and resourceful, an accomplished bushman and an excellent shot.
His achievements indicate that he possessed all of these qualities plus that of caution. He turned back rather
than take unnecessary risks on several occasions. At the time of his employment on the Overland Telegraph,
he was experienced in the exploration of arid Australia. His caution, which may have been mistaken for lack of
resolution, in situations where speed and, possibly, some risk was required, may have spawned Todd’s criticism
of his actions.
Ross and his companions traversed some of the most inhospitable country in the world. It is a credit to him
that he did not lose a man during any of his expeditions. John Ross received considerably less recognition than he
deserved.
ADB, vol 8; A H Chisholm, gen ed, Australian Encyclopedia, vol 8, 1982; F Clune, Overland Telegraph, 1955; P F Donovan, A Land Full of
Possibilities, 1981; A Giles, Exploring in the Seventies and the Construction of the Overland Telegraph Line, 1926; A Powell, Far Country,
1982; A V Purvis, ‘Concerning the Meeting of the Ross and Mills Parties’ in The Royal Historical Society of Queensland Journal, 1972;