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Home » Themes » Landscape » Exploration
150th Anniversary of William Blandowski`s ExpeditionPrint Page 
The monument commemorates the 150th Anniversary of William Blandowski’s Expedition to the Murray River which documented the region’s ecology, history and anthropology in 1857.
Blandowski came to Australia in 1849 and, following his appointment as Victoria’s state zoologist, headed an expedition along the Murray River to the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers with 2,000 pounds’ funding. The exhibition returned having named a number of new species and brought back more than 8,000 specimens, many of which had never been seen by Europeans; and been a part of one of the most significant collaborative efforts between indigenous Australian and Europeans in the 1800s.
Despite these feats, Blandowski left Australia shortly after the expedition’s end, having found himself alienated following a decision to name the Silver Perch after Melbourne Hospital physician and Melbourne Philosophical Institute Co-founder Dr Richard Eades, noting that the fish was nothing more and, indeed, nothing less than “a fish easily recognised by its low forehead, big belly and sharp spine”.
Location
| Address: | Wentworth Road, Chaffey Landing Reserve, Merbein Common, Merbein, 3505 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.164577 Long: 142.080275 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Exploration |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1857 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 2007 |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Friday 21st September, 2007 |
|---|
This is the site where Victorian Government Zoologist, William Blandowski and assistant Gerard Krefft established a camp from April to December 1857.
Aided by the Nyeri Nyeri people, who identified the area as `Mondellimin`, they assembled a large and significant collection of terrestrial and aquatic animals from the region.
Erected by Mildura Rural City Council in conjunction with the Merbein District Historical Society and unveiled on September 21st, 2007.
