Who was Charles Sturt?

Answer 1

Captain Charles Sturt was born in India in 1795. He came to Australia in 1827, and soon after undertook to solve the mystery of where the inland rivers of New South Wales flowed. Because they appeared to flow towards the centre of the continent, the belief was held that they emptied into an inland sea. Drawing on the skills of experienced bushman and explorer Hamilton Hume, Sturt first traced the Macquarie River as far as the Darling, which he named after Governor Darling. In 1829, Governor Darling then sent Sturt to trace the course of the Murrumbidgee River, and to see whether it joined to the Darling. Sturt followed the Murrumbidgee in a whaleboat and discovered that the Murrumbidgee River flowed into the Murray (previously named the Hume), and that the Murray flowed to the southern coast, being joined by the Darling along the way. Sturt's discoveries were significant, for they allowed for the development of paddle-steamer transportation of goods and passengers along Australia's inland waterways. The exploration also allowed for the opening up of more fertile pasture and grazing land in southern Australia.

Answer 2

Charles Sturt was an English explorer who played a significant role in the exploration of inland Australia in the 19th century. He led several expeditions into the Australian interior, including the search for the inland sea and the exploration of the Murray and Darling rivers. Sturt is considered a pioneering figure in Australian exploration history.