Conquering the continent

As Burke and Wills lay dying at Cooper Creek, a determined Scotsman was already planning his third transcontinental expedition. John McDouall Stuart had explored much of South Australia and penetrated to the very centre of Australia. His perseverance paid off when, on 24th July 1862, he finally reached the Indian Ocean. Stuart had succeeded in discovering a reliable route right across the continent. Upon reading of Stuart’s explorations, a father and his three young children were inspired to head off and attempt to retrace Stuart’s last and greatest expedition. With the children helping to operate the camera, they brought back a pictorial record of Stuart’s country as it is today. The story begins as an historical narrative but soon becomes a great Outback adventure. They enter isolated country seldom visited these days. It took them six weeks to do what had taken Stuart fourteen months to do as they covered the 12,000km return journey along Stuart’s route.