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Ludwig LeichhardtPrint Page Print this page

28-August-2009 (Diane Watson)
28-August-2009 (Diane Watson)

Photographs supplied by Diane Watson / John Huth

The monument commemorates the 175th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig Leichhardt who was the first European into the area. It was also erected to celebrate the bicentenary of Australia in 1788. 

Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, (1813 - 1848) was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.

Leichhardt not only passed through Taroom but actually carved his initials in the old coolibah tree which stands right in the middle of the main street. On this tree, on his dubious and ill-fated expedition from Jimbour to Port Essington, Leichhardt carved `L L 44` (Ludwig Leichhardt 1844). Leichhardt, when he did finally get back to Sydney in early 1846, declared the countryside around Taroom was magnificent and, within months, there was a grab for land.

Location

Address:Yaldwyn Street (Leichhardt Highway), Ludwig Leichhardt Park, Taroom, 4420
State:QLD
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -25.640813
Long: 149.797574
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:People
Sub-Theme:Exploration
Artist:Fred & Anne Gardiner (Toowoomba, QLD)
Link:http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli…

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 23rd October, 1988
Front Inscription

Erected by the Taroom Historical Society and the Taroom and Wandoan District Tourist Association

To celebrate the Bi-Centenary of Australia. 

Unveiled 23rd October 1988 to mark the 175th anniversary of Leichhardt.

Sculptors - Fred  & Anne Gardiner, Tia Galleries, Toowoomba

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