Edmund Kennedy 160th Anniversary

[barney]

We just spent a lovely few days escaping from Weipa and camping over at Chili Beach. Whilst we were there we came across a group who were travelling with the "Wilderness Challenge" tour guides, and were commemorating the 160th Anniversary of Edmund Kennedy's ill-fated exploration. All members of the group were direct descendants of the original Kennedy exploration group.

They had started at Mission Beach. We came across them at Chili Beach - the next day they travelled to Portland Roads (where some of the original explorers were left by Kennedy). They were all then transferred by chopper across to the northern side of the Pascoe River mouth, where they then hiked about an hour inland, I think towards Kennedy Hill. At each place they stopped, one of the group read from Kennedy's original diaries. When we last saw the group they were heading north again, after staying at Moreton, to the tip. From there, they were planning on taking a boat across to Albany Island, where two of the original explorers are buried. Not sure if they were venturing towards Escape River, where Kennedy was killed.

They were accompanied by an Australian Geographic car when we passed them at the Wenlock River crossing on their way back out from Chili Beach. What a great way to see the cape - a cape york tour which for them had real personal meaning.

By the way - we were pleasantly surprised to find a cafe now operating at Portland Roads - very welcome, and what a beautiful spot!

[geoffjy]

Hi Barney,

They made it here yesterday. The graves you mentioned on Albany are on the highest point of the island. There are 4 in total, one being laid in memory of Edmund Kennedy as they didnt find his body. If you are interested in finding out about his expedition, i recommend you read 'The Kennedy Expedition' by William Carron. Its a great read and i have been to a lot of the places that they went to.

One place is Pudding Pan hill where Kennedy left 2 men to signal the ship to meet them at Fly Point.

[xina]

Hi Barney,

They made it here yesterday. The graves you mentioned on Albany are on the highest point of the island. There are 4 in total, one being laid in memory of Edmund Kennedy as they didnt find his body. If you are interested in finding out about his expedition, i recommend you read 'The Kennedy Expedition' by William Carron. Its a great read and i have been to a lot of the places that they went to.

One place is Pudding Pan hill where Kennedy left 2 men to signal the ship to meet them at Fly Point.

How is this for co-incidence. Last night, I printed a Free book from the Project Gutenburg site, titled: "NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION UNDERTAKEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE LATE MR. ASSISTANT SURVEYER E . B. KENNEDY (1849)". BY William Carron. 61 Pages.

I also got Logan Jacks' "THE EXPLORATION OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA. 1606-1915". 28 pages.

A guy called Johnny Eager used to come over every year from Weipa to follow the trail and find all of Kennedys' camps. Last time I saw him, he thought he'd found where Kennedy died.

The "Kate Connelly" mentioned in Logan Jacks' work, is the same one on the mud map Geoff. She left Cairns in 1878 loaded with Cedar, and got caught in a cyclone, and ended up in Temple Bay. I've got some of the Copper sheeting, (just a few small pieces) and some Brass nails from part of the wreck stashed up there still, which is part of the reason I can't wait to get back. Found them the day I walked down from Hugos' at the Olive.

Cheers,
xina.

[geoffjy]

How is this for co-incidence. Last night, I printed a Free book from the Project Gutenburg site, titled: "NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION UNDERTAKEN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE LATE MR. ASSISTANT SURVEYER E . B. KENNEDY (1849)". BY William Carron. 61 Pages.

I also got Logan Jacks' "THE EXPLORATION OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA. 1606-1915". 28 pages.

A guy called Johnny Eager used to come over every year from Weipa to follow the trail and find all of Kennedys' camps. Last time I saw him, he thought he'd found where Kennedy died.

The "Kate Connelly" mentioned in Logan Jacks' work, is the same one on the mud map Geoff. She left Cairns in 1878 loaded with Cedar, and got caught in a cyclone, and ended up in Temple Bay. I've got some of the Copper sheeting, (just a few small pieces) and some Brass nails from part of the wreck stashed up there still, which is part of the reason I can't wait to get back. Found them the day I walked down from Hugos' at the Olive.

Cheers,
xina.


Sir Robert Logan Jack was a goverment geologist and did a lot exploring up around this area. I have a lot of his his old books in storage. One thing i picked up several years ago was a leather bound limited edition of all Sir Robert Logan Jack's old maps. Only 1000 were printed and the one i have is number 126 i think. It cost quite a few hundred dollars back then, so i hate to imagine what it is worth now. More info on this map collection can be found at www.users.bigpond.com/pasi/rljbook/ for those interested.

He had a creek named after him on the east coast just south of Usher Point by the name of Logan Jack.

[geoffjy]

Unfortunately Kennedy's journals were lost. When Kennedy got speared in 1848 on the southern side of the Escape River, Jackey Jackey managed to escape by swimming along the mangrove banks. He made his way to Fly Point where he met the ship that the men at Pudding Pan hill had signalled for them to meet. Jackey Jackey then led a team back to where Kennedy was speared but they could not find his body or any of his journals and such. The only true and full record of what happened is by William Carron, a botanist recommended to join the expedition on behalf of Charles Moore, the new director of the Botanic Gardens.

In March 1849 William Carron gave evidence at the inquiry into the deaths of Kennedy and the nine others, and later in the year he published "A 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 (Sydney, 1849)", the only full account of the expedition.

[xina]

That's the one I got last night Geoff. [Carron].

[TO WHICH ARE ADDED,
1. THE STATEMENT OF THE ABORIGINAL NATIVE JACKY JACKY, WHO
ACCOMPANIED MR. KENNEDY.
2. THE STATEMENT OF DR. VALLACK AND CAPTAIN DOBSON, WHO RESCUED
THE SURVIVERS OF THE EXPEDITION: AND
3. THE STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN SIMPSON, OF THE "FREAK," WHO
PROCEEDED IN SEARCH OF MR. KENNEDY'S PAPERS, &C.
SYDNEY : 1849.]

The Logan Jack one has 2 expeditions, plus pieces about earlier explorers. His own expedition material starts on page 13.

Title: The Exploration of Cape York Peninsular , 1606-1915
Author: Robert Logan Jack


The Australian historical Society.
JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS.
Vol. 111. 1915. Part V.
The exploration of Cape York Peninsular, 1606-1915.
BY ROBERT LOGAN JACK, LL.D., F.G.S., f.R.G.S.
(Read before the Society, Nov. 30, 1915)


[CONTENTS: (not shown in original publication)

Torres
The "Duyfken"
The "Pera" and "Aernem"
Cook
Leichardt
Kennedy
The Jardine Brothers
Hann
Mulligan
Jack - 1st Trip 15/8/1879 to 3/10/1879
Jack - 2nd Trip 26/11/1879 to 3/4/1980
Embly
The Telegraph Line
Missions to Aborigines
The South Eastern Coast ranges
Prospectors and some Gold and Mineral Fields ]


I've only skimmed them so far. I don't remember exactly, but I think John Eager had formed the opinion that Kennedys' body had been put inside a hollow log. Can't remember why he thought that, unless he was just thinking of some of their methods of burial.

Cheers,
xina.

[geoffjy]

I think you will enjoy the narrative by Carron xina. I read it several years ago and couldnt put it down. I was then lucky enough to travel to a lot of the places mentioned in the book.

[xina]

I think you will enjoy the narrative by Carron xina. I read it several years ago and couldnt put it down. I was then lucky enough to travel to a lot of the places mentioned in the book.

That's another reason I get so mad that I can't live there anymore. I'd love to do some more exploring up there. There is a tree on the bank of the creek where my ex. had the pump at one time, that has some sort of marking on it very high up the trunk. It's a very tall tree, and you can't make out what it is with the naked eye, and I didn't have any binoculars when we lived there.
Cheers,
xina.

[geoffjy]

That's another reason I get so mad that I can't live there anymore. I'd love to do some more exploring up there. There is a tree on the bank of the creek where my ex. had the pump at one time, that has some sort of marking on it very high up the trunk. It's a very tall tree, and you can't make out what it is with the naked eye, and I didn't have any binoculars when we lived there.
Cheers,
xina.

Well, hopefully you will get the opportunity to go there shortly.

[barney]

Geoff - the lady of the tour party we were talking to was a descendant of Carron, the botanist - I'll have a look at the narrative, sounds interesting.
Can you change the title of this thread? - annoys me that I've written Edward instead of Edmund.
Cheers

[xina]

Geoff - the lady of the tour party we were talking to was a descendant of Carron, the botanist - I'll have a look at the narrative, sounds interesting.
Can you change the title of this thread? - annoys me that I've written Edward instead of Edmund.
Cheers

Hi barney,
Not sure, but seeing as you're the one who submitted that particular post, I'm thinking you may be able to edit it, and change the spelling. Go back to it, and see if the Edit box comes up beside where "Quote" is. If it does, click on, and you'll be able to change it. then click "Save", and it will be OK.

[barney]

Cheers - too easy!
Hmmm - still won't change the thread title...Geoff???

[xina]

Cheers - too easy!

I just went back nearly 12 months, and my posts still come up with the Edit box, so that must be permanent with your post, so you can change it any time, not just soon after posting.

Can't help with Thread Title I'm afraid barney.
Cheers,
xina.

[geoffjy]

Can you change the title of this thread? - annoys me that I've written Edward instead of Edmund.
Cheers

Done.

I would have loved to talk to the group but i think i will miss them unfortunately.