Two Expeditions into the Interior of Southern Australia, during the Years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1831 2 Volume Set

Published in 1833, this two-volume account by Charles Sturt (1795–1869) documents the difficulties of exploring unmapped territory in the harsh climate of the Australian summer. Sturt traced and named the Darling and Murray rivers, and here describes the region's topography, its flora, and his encounters with its Aboriginal inhabitants.

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Charles Sturt (1795–1869) was a British soldier, sent to New South Wales in charge of convicts in 1826. Volume 1 of this 1833 publication describes how in 1827 Governor Darling appointed Sturt to lead an expedition into the interior, in search of pastoral land for settlement and a navigable river system. He discovered and named the Darling River before being forced to turn back due to lack of fresh water. Volume 2 is an account of Sturt's second journey, to the Murrumbidgee River and the Murray. The ship that was to meet the party on the south coast had left, and the explorers were forced to row 900 miles back up river on low rations, an experience which permanently damaged Sturt's health. Despite these hardships, Sturt made careful records of the topography and flora of the region, as well as his encounters with the local Aboriginal tribes.