The Calvert Centenary Expedition

In May 1896, seven men and 20 camels set out from Geraldton to explore "the missing banks" of the four major deserts of Western Australia. Exactly 100 years later, 13 men and two women, supplied with 16 Range Rovers and two helicopters, set out to retrace the steps of the ill-fated 1896 expedition.

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In May 1896, seven men and 20 camels set out from Geraldton to explore "the missing banks" of the four major deserts of Western Australia. Funded by the Royal Geographical Society, the Calvert expedition aimed to open a stock route from the North Western goldfields to the Northern Territory, and to find gold. Exactly 100 years later, 13 men and two women, supplied with 16 Range Rovers, two helicopters, mobile phones and gourmet foods and wines, set out to retrace the steps of the ill-fated 1896 expedition. The difficulties faced by the 1996 team provide an interesting parallel to the journal entries of the original team.