The Tietkens expedition of 1889 was led by William Tietkens. It covered territory west of Alice Springs to the vicinity of the Western Australian border. [1]
The Tietkens expedition of 1889 was led by William Tietkens. It covered territory west of Alice Springs to the vicinity of the Western Australian border. [1]
The expedition members were:[2]
The expedition took place from March to July 1889.[2]
Tietkens hoped to discover a supply channel to Lake Amadeus from hills to the north-west, expecting that this might open a reliable route to the north-west coast settlements. He succeeded in proving that it did not exist.
The South Australian branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia was instrumental in mounting the expedition and appointing Tietkens as leader.
This expedition discovered Lake Macdonald (Karrkurutinyja), the Kintore Range, Mount Leisler, Mount Rennie, the Cleland Hills, defined the western borders of Lake Amadeus, and photographed Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (Mount Olga) for the first time.
Features named by Tietkens, with the source of the name, include:[2]
The attached map shows the main features of the route followed.
The caravan consisted of twelve camels, sufficient to carry the expedition members, provisions for up to four months and water for a lesser period.[2]
The expedition collected new species of plants and rock samples allowing the South Australian government geologist to compile a 'geological sketch' of the country traversed.
Specimens of 250 plant species were collected, although only 8 were new to science, [3] and in 1890, Ferdinand von Mueller and Ralph Tate named Eremophila tietkensii in his honour. [4] [5]
The following publications contain information derived from this expedition:
. Tietkens was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society on his return.