Edmund Kennedy's 1948 expedition to Cape York was the most tragic in the
history of inland exploration of Australia. From the very start, the goals
proved elusive. It took Kennedy and his men a month to move from the beach and
swamp where they had been landed in their support ships.
The next four months were a harrowing tale of setback and assault by cruel
nature. Of Kennedy and his twelve companions only three survived. Twenty six
year old William Carron was one of those survivors, and here is his original
account reproduced in a facsimile. Without this narrative, we would be left with
very little knowledge of the day-to-day workings of Kennedy's party.
Les Hiddins' describes in his introduction the importance Kennedy has in our
understanding of the rigours endured by the explorers of Australia.
A fascinating book which shows that Kennedy and his men had an amazing
commitment to explore and discover the unknown, despite the pain and suffering
that goes with such undertakings. This story is an account of physical hardship
and discovery. Included is a fold-out map showing the route that the party took.
