|
|
Article: Ernest Giles (1835-97) Explorer Ernest Giles 'discovered' more land in Australia than anyone else, covering a distance of more than 8,000 kilometres.(Late Great Geographers #48)(Biography)
- Article from:
- Geographical
- Article date:
- October 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Circle Publishing Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
What was his background?
Born in Bristol in 1835, Ernest Giles was educated at Christ's Hospital in London. His parents migrated to Australia in 1850 and the following year Giles joined them in Adelaide. Spending his first few years working on cattle and sheep stations in the area, Giles became an innovative bushman and began to seek a challenge away from town life, beginning by exploring the Darling River region.
What did his work involve?
Between 1872 and 1876, Giles led five major expeditions into Australia's western interior, in the process 'discovering' more land than any other explorer of the continent. Driven by a desire "to be the first ...