Dimensions
176 x 242 x 13mm
Fifty years ago, four stockmen droving a mob of cattle on a remote property in the gidgee country of Queensland came across some strange artefacts half-buried in the dirt. They were of colonial origin, but obviously pre-dated settlement of the area. Who could they have belonged to?
On answer immediately sprang into the stockmen's minds: Ludwig Leichhardt.
The disappearance in 1848 of explorer Leichhardt and his party is one of the enduring mysteries of Australia's history in the last two centuries. Many theories have been suggested in the last 150 years, but little evidence supports them.
Bruce Simpson, author of 'Packhorse Drover' was one of the men who discovered the mysterious objects in 1947. He has been fascinated by the Leichhardt enigma ever since.
This is a wonderfully retelling of the legend, and the various explanations of why Leichhardt vanished coolly weighed with all the authority of Bruce Simpson's long experience of the bush. And woven into that older tale is the story of Simpson's journey into the past with some of his droving mates as they go back to try to find what they believe is real evidence of Leichhardt's passing.
