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Edward John EyrePrint Page Print this page

24-February-2015
24-February-2015

Photographs supplied by Roger Johnson
The cairn commemorates Edward John Eyre (1815 - 1901) who was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica. Eyre passed through the district in May 1839 and named the Rocky River and the Crystal Brook. 

Eyre set out to explore the interior of South Australia, with two separate expeditions north to the Flinders Ranges and west to beyond Ceduna. Eyre, together with his Aboriginal companion Wylie, was the first European to traverse the coastline of the Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor Plain by land in 1840 - 1841, on an almost 3218 kilometre trip to Albany, Western Australia.

Jubilee celebrations at Crystal Brook will begin with a ball on Friday, September 25.  On the next day a procession of floats will pass through the township to the showgrounds, upon which a sports day is to be conducted. A cairn is to be erected by the district council to commemorate the first attempt of Edward John Eyre early in May, 1839, to penetrate the far interior when he discovered and passed through the district and named Rocky River and Crystal Brook, from which the township derived its name. The cairn will be erected on the banks of the creek and will be unveiled on Jubilee Day. 
Advertiser (Adelaide), 16 August 1951.

Location

Address:Eyre Road, Heysen Park, Crystal Brook, 5523
State:SA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -33.348107
Long: 138.204471
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Exploration
Approx. Event Start Date:May-1839
Link:http://adb.anu.edu.au/

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Saturday 29th September, 1951
Front Inscription

Edward John Eyre (1815 - 1901)

On his first attempt to penetrate the far interior from the south discovered and passed through this District early in May 1839 and named the Rocky River and the Crystal Brook

Erected in the Commonwealth Jubilee Year.

Unveiled 29th September 1951.

Source: MA, ADB
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au
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