John McDouall Stuart accompanied Charles Sturt's 1844-46 expedition into central Australia as a draughtsman. After the death of James Poole the second in command, Sturt promoted Stuart to carry out his duties in addition to his map-making responsibilities. For this Sturt arranged that Stuart would receive additional payment when they returned to Adelaide.

That payment of 170 pounds, while not a large sum was sufficent to enable him to set up in private practice as a surveyor and estate agent. The first advertisement appeared in the Adelaide Observer for 21 March 1846 and more followed over the next few months advertising a range of properties from cottages to hotels and country sections. The advertisements ceased in November of that year and he shortly after is recorded as surveying runs on Eyre Peninsula. Here he would later link up with William Finke and travel with him to the northern Flinders Ranges and commence the series of explorations that eventually would see him cross the continent from south to north in 1862.

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