A Polish Explorer 2…
by J. Reynolds.
Continued from previous page.
He seems to have made a sort of "round trip." He went up the east coast, and then turned west after exploring the Ben Lomond Range. Then he crossed the northern Midlands and climbed up on to the Tiers somewhere near Dry's Bluff. Visiting the Lake St. Clair district, he journeyed west at least as far as that forbidding mass of quartz, the Frenchman's Cap.
At that mountain, the writer has been informed, there is still to be seen a cairn which he built with his own hands. From the west coast he probably returned by way of the Gordon and Florentine Valleys. People who knew the West Coast in the early mining days can alone appreciate the difficulties of such a journey.
As on the mainland, Strzelecki carefully recorded all his observations in a scientific manner. The flora, the fauna, and the climate of the island all came within the range of his investigation. In the settled districts he examined the soils, and sent many samples to England for chemical analysis.
Read next below.
Map of Strzelecki's expedition in Tasmania.
Map of Strzelecki's expedition in Tasmania.
Thus he may be regarded as one of the pioneers of agricultural science in this State. He paid particular attention to the coal seams of the East Coast, making many observations which proved of great value to later geologists and miners.
Coming to Tasmania at that time, he helped Gunn, Milligan, and others lay so well the foundations of all our scientific knowledge.
Strzelecki's amiable personality made him a particularly welcome guest in many Tasmanian homes. Even today there are fleeting memories of this adventurous and cultured Pole.
At no other place in all his travels did Strzelecki receive such recognition for his work as in Tasmania.
On his departure he received a flattering address and a gift of £400 towards defraying his expenses.
Before leaving Australia Strzelecki drafted an enormous map of the parts he had visited. It is 25 feet long and 5 feet wide, the scale being a quarter of an inch to a mile. At present this vast piece of cartography is suitably housed in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.
When Strzelecki commenced his Australian explorations, Governor Gipps, recognising the national significance of his undertaking, very properly offered to defray half his expenses from the Colonial Treasury.
Unfortunately, Gipps was recalled, and died in England shortly afterwards. Greatly to their discredit, the authorities at the Colonial Office refused to honour the dead Governor's undertaking.
They added insult to injury by offering the explorer a minor post in New South Wales,
This ungrateful attitude does not seem to have changed Strzelecki's attitude towards the British people. As soon as he had completed his book, „A Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land,” he turned his attention to relieving the terrible distress in Ireland wrought by the failure of the potato crop and the operation of the Corn Laws.
Sparing himself neither money nor energy, he earned the gratitude of many thousands of his fellow creatures.
Somewhat tardily the British Government recognised his services by a bestowal of knighthood in 1869.
For the rest of his long life Strzelecki lived in England. The Oxford University, the Royal Society of London, and the Royal Geographical Society all conferred their honours upon this Pole who made such valuable contributions to knowledge.
Strzelecki belongs to that great band of men which made the Nineteenth Century so remarkable.
With Humboldt, Franklin, Darwin, and Wallace, he must be regarded as one of the leading scientific explorers of his time. Surely some spot can be found in Australia's national capital to commemorate suitably his distinguished services to this country.
This article comes from „Illustrated Tasmanian Mail ” June 12, 1929.
