Stuart being carried on the Ambulance

Stephen King Jnr. was born at Gawler, South Australia in 1841. As a young man, he joined the South Australian Lands Department and was part of the expedition, led by John McDouall Stuart, that crossed the continent from 1861 to 1862. He was also a member of the Litchfield expedition in 1865 and was a surveyor and explorer for part of the Overland Telegraph in 1870.

King created 44 sketches during the 1861-1862 expedition with Stuart. On this final trip, Stuart's party finally achieved their ultimate goal of crossing the Australian continent from the southern to northern coast. On the 25 July, 1862 they hoisted the Union Jack on the shores of the Indian Ocean. However, a long journey home still waited for them. The drawing shown here is of John McDouall Stuart being carried on the 'Ambulance' on the return journey. The writing underneath the sketch reads:

J. McDouall Stuart being carried on The Ambulance - being unable to ride on horseback we were obliged [to] convey our leader on the ambulance some 600 miles under the greatest difficulties to reach the settled districts in South Australia to save his life.

The years of difficult travelling had finally taken a terrible toll on Stuart and he was suffering from severe scurvy and exhaustion. In October Stuart became so weak he was barely able to walk. The men made a stretcher which was slung between two quiet horses and used to carry Stuart. It was the determination, care and loyalty of Stuart's men, weakened themselves from poor diet and hardship, who got the expedition safely home. Stuart reached Adelaide by train in December of 1862.

Stuart named a chain of waterholes after King; King's Ponds. King died on 7th October 1915, the last member of the expedition teams to do so.

View all King's sketches of the expedition.

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