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Background
The Governor of New South Wales commissioned Edmund Kennedy to explore Cape York in 1848. This followed the success of the earlier Leichhardt Expedition. A committee comprising mostly naval explorers determined his objectives and the parameters of his proposed journey.
Kennedy had recently returned from an exhausting exploration into the Barcoo and Coopers Creek regions of Western NSW and commenced his preparations for Cape York with no time for he, or his party to recover from the exertions of 18 months of privation.
Kennedy's party of 13 was landed on the North Queensland coast, on 24 May 1848, at Rockingham Bay at Tam O' Shanter Point, named for the vessel on which he sailed. His equipment included two spring carts and a small herd of sheep and supplies calculated to maintain the party for a journey to Port Albany, just south of the Tip of Cape York.
 Here Kennedy was to rendezvous with the Brig Ariel, resupply and augment his party before returning to Sydney via the west Coast of Cape York and investigating the river systems South Of the Gulf of Carpentaria on the way.
The party very quickly ran foul of the country finding themselves trapped between mangrove and freshwater swamps. There was no retreat as the Tam O' Shanter had already sailed for Singapore and the escort HMS Rattlesnake commenced a marine survey of the inner passage through the Great Barrier Reef. After the party had battled through rainforest and steep gullies for six weeks, the carts and much heavy equipment was abandoned. Remaining supplies were loaded on the horses using makeshift packsaddles. The party crawled to the top of the Coastal range by 8th August. Well behind schedule, the party struggled on to Princess Charlotte Bay, where an opportunity for rescue by the Rattlesnake had expired. The ship had sailed.
On 13 November, Kennedy was forced to divide his party, leaving eight men at Weymouth Bay in the charge of the botanist, Carron. Kennedy and four others, including the Aborigine, Jackey Jackey, pushed on to meet the Ariel at Port Albany. A further tragedy occurred; Costigan was severely wounded in the chest, when his gun accidentally discharged. This required that he be left at Shelburne Bay with two others. Kennedy and Jackey Jackey then commenced a race to Port Albany to seek help.
Kennedy was speared when attempting to skirt around the mangroves of the Escape River and died in Jackey Jackey's arms. Jackey Jackey hid Kennedy's papers in a hollow tree and continued to Port Albany despite pursuit by the hostile local tribes people. He was recognised by Dr Vallack from the Ariel and taken aboard to tell the tragic story. The Ariel departed on an urgent rescue mission, firstly to Shelburne Bay
Guided by Jackey Jackey the rescue party judged that Costigan and his carers had perished, and the threat from the hostile aborigines made searching for their remains too dangerous. The Ariel continued to Weymouth bay to rescue the two only survivors, Carron and Goddard. The others six had starved to death.
Captain Beckford Simpson of The Brig "Freak" visited the scenes in May 1849, again guided by Jackey Jackey. Remains of two the party; some articles of equipment and some documents including some of Kennedy's journals and notebooks were recovered. The corpses were buried on Albany Island. Kennedy's body was not found.
Trek Overview
Our trek will trace Kennedy's route from near Mount Garnet (Camp XXIX) over
the Great Dividing Range into the headwaters of Emu Creek. Other explorers,
including Mulligan, in their search, extensively prospected Emu Creek for
gold and other minerals much later in the 1870's. Mulligan named Emu Creek
after breakfasting on a clutch of Emu eggs. We follow Emu Creek down to the
Junction of the Walsh River (Camp XXXVI) to complete section one. There will
be time to visit some relics of the pioneer mining days including the Emuford
Stamper Battery, which has hardly changed since the turn of the century.
We will pause to resupply and any changeover of our party at Emu Creek Station.
We will then continue down the Walsh to the ironically named "Featherbed Range and gorge, look for signs of Kennedy trees and hot soda springs. We will finish at Camp XLIV with a modern development road nearby. We will then transfer to Chillagoe to settle back into civilization overnight and an opportunity to visit some of Chillagoe's sights the following before returning to Cairns or the Atherton Tablelands. Our faithful donkeys will be trucked home from Chillagoe having enjoyed a special feed at the Chillagoe stockyards.
We will attempt to locate Kennedy's campsite
based on research compiled by Edgar Beale and travel using
Kennedy's route and rate of progress. The Eacham Historical
Society indicates that some Kennedy Trees may still stand,
as some were identified some years ago.
The trek is offered in two sections:
Section One.
Mt Garnet to Emu Creek Station (Emu Creek and Walsh River junction),Camp XXXVI
10 days
Dates:
23 August to 01 September2005
Section Two
Emu Creek Station Camp XXXVI to Walsh river/ Bourke Development Road,
Camp XLIII, and transfer to Chillagoe & Cairns
11 days
Dates:
01 to 11 September 2005
Reconnaissance Photographs 2005
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