Looking-into-Leichhardt_catalogue_Oct2013_Gannon+friends

XIII LOSSES October 1845

They were now one year into the journey and travelling beside today’s Roper River (named after John Roper, who had mostly recovered after being given‘Dr’Leichhardt’s remedies) when a number of serious losses occurred. The first was the death of the last and much-loved dog, Spring. Then came the drowning of four horses, including that of the crucial pack horses. This was followed by the spearing of another weak horse that had fallen and become impaled by a sharp tree. The disastrous consequence for Leichhardt was the destruction of many containers of scientific specimens (mostly plants, seeds and small animals) that both he and Gilbert had collected. This happened because the specimen packs became soaked when the pack horses drowned. Leichhardt gathered into a pile what remained of the wasted specimens and lit a fire. This would have been particularly devastating for him because he was first and foremost a scientist; he saw his role as an explorer as secondary. On 21st October he wrote “…The fruit of many a day’s work was consigned to the fire; and tears were in my eyes…”

80 x 120 cm oil on board 2013

Leichhardt's 1844-45 route

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