Vol.22 No.3 April/May 2015

Bi-Monthly Newsletter of THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC. Founded 10th July 1885 Incorporated July 1918

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Information about your Society

The object of the RGSSA is to promote the understanding of geography among its members and the community by:

 advancing geographical science  describing the present  discovering the past  promoting the future

Some of its activities include:  day and weekend excursions  monthly talks on geographical topics  publication of an annual Journal and bi-monthly newsletter  other occasions publications including SA regional guide books

Members should be aware that from time to time the Mortlock Wing may be hired out for functions & as such is closed to the public.

This does not deny RGSSA members access to their Library or Office

Members need only to approach security staff stipulating they are RGSSA members requiring access to their rooms.

Library hours Tuesday to Friday -10.00am to 1.00pm, other times by prior arrangement. Most Library items are catalogued at: www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/screens/opacmenu.html or through Libraries Australia http://trove.nla.gov.au/

Office hours Tuesday and Thursday of each week from 10.00am to 1.00pm

Front cover : Sharam’s Cottages, Penola’s first cottage left, built 1850, second cottage built c1864

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Royal Geographical Society of South Australia Inc. Founded 1885

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Information About Your Society 2 Society Contact Details and Office Bearers 4 From the President 5 Receiving GeoNews by e-mail 7 From the Interim Editor 8 May Lecture Mr John Seaton 11 June Brock Lecture Mr Terry Krieg 12 About Time: SA History Festival 2015 13 March Lecture Summary Mr Allan Holmes 14 March Rare Books Discussion Group Summary 16 Future Rare Books Discussion Group Topics 19 How Did the Continents Get Their Names? 20 Australian History in the Garden of England 25 Sturt’s Historic Blazed Tree - Birdsville 28 Advance Notice - Visit to Art Gallery 30 New Members 30 About the Library 31 2015 Lecture Program and Events 32

April/May 2015 Page 3 Royal Geographical Society of South Australia Inc.

Founded 1885

Mortlock Wing, L2 south, State Library of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000 Postal Address: PO Box 3661, Rundle Mall, Adelaide , SA 5000

Office : (08) 82077265 Email admin@rgssa,org.au Office Hours : Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am to 1:00pm Library: (08) 82077266 Email [email protected] Library Hours Tuesday to Friday 10:00am to 1:00pm RGSSA web address: http://www.rgssa.org.au

Patron: His Excellency Mr Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia

Fellows: Dr Sue Barker & Brian Ward

Office Holders from December 2014

President Rod Shearing OAM Vice Presidents Dr Barry Symons, Huw Morgant Treasurer Dick Wilson Secretary Paul Hayes Council Members: John Butler OAM, Robert Clisby, Maurice Keain, Rick Flint, Dr Stephanie Schrapel, Melissa Nursey-Bray, Alan Wright, John Seaton and Tom Dorman .

Committees/Chair(s): Library Staff/Committee Nik Surikov, Kathy Boyes, Wynton Heading, John Dayman, Jenny Treloar, Phyl Twigg, David Wald, Alan Wallace, Liz Raeside, David Booth, Sandra Thompson, Gail Ward, Geoff Lemmey, Nona Verco, Pat Greet and Chris Birrell. Rare Books Group Convenor Rex Hosking assisted by Pat Greet Administration President Rod Shearing Geographical Heritage Committee in abeyance Library Nik Surikov Marketing Janet Forbes and Rick Flint Program John Seaton (pro tem) Publications Vacant Research & Awards Vacant Office Manager Margaret Duggan Others Programs Web Page Design and Maintenance Graham McLeod & Greg Lawson GeoNews Editors Pam & Alan Deverell SA Geographical Journal Editor Carolyn Spooner Meeting Hospitality Wendy Holden, June Hanley, Sally Hanley Geography Teachers’ Liaison John Butler OAM, Nik Surikov Office and other Administration Edwin Mann (records), Pat Greet, Dr Jill Kerby.

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From the President 4 As the Society's awards are about to be recognised I ponder how may geographers assist our economy? The Society was founded in 1885, and at that time geographical enterprise was seen as an integral part of a speedily developing economy. The Society was used as a facilitator for primary activity, particularly mining and pastoralism. Several expeditions were administered through the Society's office up to the 1930s. The term commercial geography was then espoused amongst the Society's objectives. We, the country, are now about to be faced with some far thinking dilemmas. The Commonwealth Government's Intergenerational Report (IGR) released this month is both a confronting and an optimistic document. It confronts us to do nothing less than rethink our social contract, but gives us great optimism that if Australia makes the right decisions now, we are in a position to lock in living standards that are the envy of the world. Rethinking the social contract will require us to make choices about what government - that is, Australian taxpayers - can be expected to pay for. It requires us to rethink how government services are provided, and the contributions individuals should make to their own education, healthcare and retirement. And yes, many of us will need to work longer.' Geographical disciplines are able to provide some of the answers. Getting this right is all about how we manage the transition. IGR data which projects that, without fundamental policy change, by 2055:  Commonwealth government net debt will be almost 60 per cent of GDP or $2.6 trillion in today's dollars.  Commonwealth government spending will reach 31per cent or almost one-third of GDP.  Health spending will be 5.7per cent of GDP by 2055 or around $6600 per person, compared with $2800 today.  Aged pension spending will reach 3.6 percent of GDP.

Facing up to our intergenerational challenges should be a binding obligation for every Australian and every government.

April/May 2015 Page 5 That means both of the major political parties must put forward a compelling vision and a practical plan of action for how to manage.' (Lyn Roeder Weekend Australian 7/8 March 2015) Geographical analysis can also assist with our population trends over the next 20 years. The federal government says the number of Australians aged 65 and over is expected to increase rapidly to 6.2 million, or one quarter of the population, by 2042. This threatens to curb economic growth in years ahead, so encouraging older employees to continue working is no longer optional but key to maintaining the country's economic vitality. This may seem like a gloomy subject but there is potentially a silver lining to this social and demographic change. The swelling ranks of mature workers are a valuable resource for businesses and for volunteer groups. Older Australians can teach the rest of us a thing or two about the world of work, its systems and idiosyncrasies. The careers of younger workers will benefit if they are willing to listen to their elder’s in• sights.. A proportionately high number of mature workers are found in sectors such as manufacturing, transport, healthcare and education. These sectors benefit significantly from the depth of experience and knowledge this older workforce brings to their jobs. Encouraging staff to find a mentor is a good first step. This too I think is a niche for geographers. Younger employees can learn a lot from mature workers who have already achieved the career goals they aspire to. Employers should help staff find a mature mentor, in their organisation or within their industry or field of experience, and let them tap into the veteran's knowledge when making career development decisions. Help employees try to up-skill. Older workers often enjoy imparting the benefit of their years of experience to a protégé. This Society has participated on the fringes of this activity through training placements for students and for community members increasing their skills through exposure to diverse general and cultural administration duties. The Society also provides a vibrant outlet for those older South Australians, and not

April/May 2015 Page 6 so old, to give back to the community, as volunteer time, their knowledge skills and experience. This has led to the Society also assisting in the contribution of GDP to the State through its guide books publications, SA Geographical Journal and its free lecture program content. These publications and lectures online are sought throughout Australia thereby increasing the communities collective knowledge and skills and attracting ideas and visitors.

Rod Shearing OAM President

North Adelaide Streetscape with buildings circa 1856

Receiving GeoNews by E-mail Do we have your correct e-mail address?

Would you like to see all these photos and illustrations in full colour instead of black and white? If so, ask to receive GeoNews by e-mail. All you have to do is to contact the Office [email protected] and let us know. Whenever we use e-mail to communicate with members, many are returned from addresses which have changed or are not able to be delivered as the mail box is full. Please inform the Office [email protected] when any of your contact details change, particularly your e-mail address, and we suggest you monitor its contents on a regular basis! Margaret Duggan Office Manager

April/May 2015 Page 7 From the (Interim) Editor

On returning from a walking trip in the South East recently, I chose to spend some time in Penola, particularly to visit the Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre. First stop however, was the John Riddoch Centre, formerly the Mechanics Institute and Public Library built in 1869. It now houses the Penola/Coonawarra Visitor Information Centre, but what drew my attention was the Local History Display where I was able to discover the fascinating economic, agricultural and social history of the area. For example, Penola has a prize winning pipe band and is home to poets, John Shaw Nielson and Adam Lindsay Gordon. It is also where Arctic Explorer John Rymill lived, whose son Peter delivered the Brock Lecture to the RGSSA in June 2013. It was then a short walk to the Mary Mackillop Centre, and the entrance adjacent to Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church. The first church on this site was built in 1859 whilst Father Tenison Woods was priest. Being Palm Sunday, it was well attended, and in full voice as I entered the Mary Mackillop Centre. This striking glass fronted building, completed in 1998, contains displays with photographs and artefacts explaining the story of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop and Father Tenison Woods, particularly their time in Penola. I was lucky to be greeted by Margaret, one of the volunteer guides, who was also responsible for much of the text in the displays and was eager to share her knowledge with bubbling enthusiasm. The displays, covered Mary MacKillop’s life from her birth in Melbourne in January 1842, her childhood in genteel poverty, her coming to Penola to be a governess to her aunt and uncle’s children in 1861, to establishing the Sisters of Saint Joseph, along with Father John Tenison Woods and setting up a school in Penola in 1864 for the children of poor families. In 1867 Mary took her formal

April/May 2015 Page 8 vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and became Sister Mary of the Cross. By 1869, 82 Sisters were running 23 schools and three charitable institutions, only four years since the first school had opened. The next events in her life were really amazing! Mary and her Sisters were drawn onto a vicious diocesan power struggle and were excommunicated in September 1871. Fortunately it was reversed five months later. Sister Mary spent the rest of her life until she died in 1909 working for Catholic education and welfare. Her life of exceptional holiness was formally recognised in January 1995, when Pope John Paul beatified her in Sydney. On 17 October 2010 she was canonised by Pope Benedict in Rome to become Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop, Australia’s first saint. The Centre contains a huge poster collage of the celebrations in Penola on that date when the whole town appears to have participated. I then moved to the displays about Father Tenison Woods, who arrived in Penola at the age of 24 as a newly ordained priest, and spent the next 10 years “with a saddle as a pillow” to establish a permanent Catholic mission in the then isolated 22,000 square miles South Eastern district of South Australia. But he was more than a priest, and made extensive scientific observations on the geology, caves, fossils, botany, volcanoes and coastlines and published many articles on these topics. He worked with Mary Mackillop to establish the Sisters of St Joseph and the first school. He spent his later years in missionary duties in NSW, Queensland and Tasmania and in 1883 accepted a British Government commission to examine thoroughly the geology of the Malay Peninsula, and was in Java shortly after the eruption of Krakatoa. He was awarded the prestigious Clarke Medal by the Royal Society of NSW shortly before his death in Sydney in 1889. His amazing life history is enhanced by the many artefacts as well as a large selection of the geological and fossil samples he collected. My next move was to the nearby Woods Mackillop Schoolhouse. Converted from a six-stalled wooden stable, it opened in March 1866 with 33 pupils and teacher Mary Mackillop. Here, Mary developed a curriculum, programs for the different grades, timetables and rules. Her “Method” was to form the basis of Catholic education throughout the State. The schoolroom has been carefully preserved, with examples of students’ work, in a wide variety of the curriculum, including geography., Behind the schoolroom are two very Spartan living roo

April/May 2015 Page 9 rooms, one a bedroom filled mattresses on narrow wooden frames, the other and kitchen with table and wood stove. My last place to visit was the Petticoat Lane Heritage Area, a carefully preserved location with a number of original cottages dating from 1850, and original red- gum kerbing. The area was declared a State Heritage area in December 1997. Some cottages are now used as an Art gallery, Retro Fashion and Bric–a-Brac shop, or Bed and Breakfast accommodation, while the oldest, the Sharam’s Cottages, was the first home of Christopher Sharam, “Boot and shoemaker – all kinds of boots ready make or to order” and his wife Ellen. This cottage demonstrates the slab construction built in 1850, with the second cottage built next door in c1864 to accommodate the growing family of 15 children! There is a thriving herb and vegetable garden at the rear. Jill Kerby.

PS Alan and Pam Deverell are overseas for several weeks, hence my role as Interim Editor

April/May 2015 Page 10 Thursday 21st May 2015 5.30pm Goodman Lecture Theatre Mr John Seaton “Expats” in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a country at the political and geographical heart of the Middle East. Yet few Westerners have much knowledge of its culture, people or the huge influence Saudi Arabia has had on the ways of life in those countries which have relied on Saudi Arabia’s almost unlimited Oil and Gas resources, especially since 1973. John Seaton, as a petroleum refining specialist with Mobil International, was assigned with his wife Anne in 1979 to manage the Petromin Refining Company in Jeddah, a Red Sea port on the Western coast of the Kingdom. John will discuss life in a strict Muslim country, the restrictions on men and women, and at the same time the enjoyment, satisfaction and interest Anne and John experienced during their two and a half years in this mainly desert but dynamic country.

He will also include a brief historical and geographical picture of the development of the region, and their experiences, including camping in the North along the Hejaz Railway of Lawrence of Arabia fame. Anne and John have been long term members of the Society, with John currently a Councillor, and a member of the Program Committee.

April/May 2015 Page 11 Thursday 18th June 2015 5.30pm Goodman Lecture Theatre Terry Krieg Walking with Warren Bonython

Terry Krieg met Warren Bonython in 1974 and in the following 38 years, shared many walking and other expeditions with him. These included walking the Willouran Ranges in 1975, walking around Lake Eyre in the winter of 1982 and “anniversary” walks in the Flinders Ranges and Gammon Ranges to celebrate previous achievements by Warren 25 and 50 years previously. Their final walk together was in the Gammon Ranges in 2002, when Warren was 86 years old! Terry’s second book, “Walking with Warren”, was launched in November 2013. The Society has copies for sale at a special member’s price.) A geography graduate from the University of Adelaide, Terry taught mostly geography and geology to senior secondary students in South Australian schools. After retiring in 1992, he established an ecotourism and bushwalking business. He has lived in Port Lincoln for almost 50 years and has been a member of the RGSSA since 1959 and was awarded life membership in 2009. He had led four study tours for the Society to Eyre Peninsula, Flinders Ranges and the South East.

Editor’s Note: Warren Bonython has been recognised with a new Walking Trail named after him- .a 10km loop walk at Hiltaba Nature Reserve, Gawler Ranges, 650km from Adelaide.

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About Time SA’s History Festival 2015

To celebrate About Time 2015, the RGSSA will be hosting a lecture by Dr Roderick O’Brien on the life and times of Australian scientist and educator Father Julian Tenison- Woods. Peregrinations of Father Tenison-Woods in S.E. Asia

Tuesday 5th May 10:30am, Mortlock Wing, State Library of South Australia

Please book through www.rgssa.org.au or Eventbrite

Dr Roderick O'Brien is Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of South Australia and like Woods is a Catholic priest. For more than thirty years, he has researched Woods' life and ministry, and especially Woods' scientific work in Asia.

Exhibition Discovering Asia

The RGSSA is pleased to mount an exhibition, Discovering Asia, in the RGSSA rooms at the State Library of SA. Treasures of the RGSSA library will be on display depicting epic voyages and expeditions to the Far East.

The exhibition will run from the 1st May to the 31st July 2015.

Mortlock Wing

Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am to 1:00pm

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March Lecture Summary – Allan Holmes Having developed a familiarity with our state by studying locally for a Masters degree and later leading our Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Allan related his observations to inform and stimulate our thinking on environmental matters. He sketched a broad picture of three geographic zones within the state, comprising the arid/pastoral/ rangelands beyond Goyder’s Line of which 15 million hectares is now in the conservation system; the agricultural zone, also including conservation reserves; and lastly, the coastal and marine zone totalling 60 million hectares which until recently was open to commercial and recreational fishing. Aboriginal history goes back many generations whereas European migration commenced in 1836. The introduction of the dingo by the semi-nomadic hunter gatherer population has had a clear biological impact and Allan contends that these people’s use of fire was significant in shaping the landscape. Our speaker divided the post-1836 period into three divisions demarcated by the World Wars. Prior to WWI the Aboriginal population was decimated because of the spread of introduced diseases and there was a dramatic change in the landscape because of rabbits, foxes, cats and grazing animals that accompanied the Europeans. Between the wars was a time of inactivity and depression. Post- WW2 was marked by the availability of machinery for clearing of Mallee country and settlement was dominated by land availability. The introduction of different flora and fauna wrought significant changes, for example buffel grass in the northern rangelands. Rabbits, deer, goats, camels and honey bees have also caused irreversible change. Since European settlement, fire arrangements have been changed and to intervene and introduce a new fire regime requires skill and expertise to influence the larger system. These days pastoralism in the arid zone is better managed. Fisheries have been fully exploited and massive changes have occurred. Allan related the story of the 1934 walk across Europe by Patrick Lee Fermor when rivers were untouched by development. It was impossible to duplicate the

April/May 2015 Page 14 experience in 2012 because of vast landscape changes. In South Australia the Murray River has been over exploited and mining in the Copper Triangle and at Burra and more recently, in the Cooper Basin has impacted on the landscape. The SA government initially reacted to the problems faced by farmers, followed by interest in pleasure resorts and eventually directed attention to national parks and soil conservation. Allan paid tribute to significant and enlightened work done by our own Sue Barker, Colin Harris and others on matters of native vegetation, marine parks and conservation of pastures. He posited that the Wilderness Act had gone a step too far. From the 1990s to the present, the Environmental Protection Authority, natural resource management and marine parks had dominated the agenda. However, he foresees a bleak future but did concede that perhaps his is an “old bloke’s” view. Allan theorised that in the unrelenting pursuit of growth we may lose the things that we value most. In measuring prosperity in material things we lose natural wealth. He pointed out that recreational fishing is not well managed in comparison to the commercial variety. He feels that the impacts of climate change may overwhelm us. Furthermore, the increasing industrialisation of farming and loss of family farms may result in a loss of connection with the landscape. Lifestyle will affect farming in peri-urban areas such as Fleurieu, Barossa, Clare Valley and Mount Lofty Ranges. Allan lauded the amount of conservation areas in our state and pointed to the success of the Bounce Back programme and hoped that fire management would be successful. He commented on fixation with single species, for example the bilby, saying that such species are unable to adapt to survive in a landscape of introduced predators. He did wonder if budget cuts over recent years are a reflection on what we value in society. In response to a number of questions from the audience, Allan added that climate change in recent years has seen a rise in temperature minima if not in maxima and this stresses our trees. He also pointed out that in the case of Yumbarra, legislative protection had been removed. He sees the need to play the game to a certain degree to avoid being perceived as a lunatic.

April/May 2015 Page 15 Further, he felt that while we may not be able to afford officers to enforce laws of environmental compliance, that education of children on the importance of engaging with the environment may be a better use of resources. President Rod, in thanking Allan for his candid talk, hoped that we are able to rise to the challenge of the convoluted environmental path presented to us to tread. Valerie Balagengadaran

Rare Books Discussion Group, 26th March 2015

RGS member Rick Moore, who is also President of the John McDouall Stuart Society, conducted the March meeting, providing his audience with some fascinating glimpses of the expeditions of Stuart.

April/May 2015 Page 16 He concentrated on books, library items, maps and drawings and some of Stuart’s original diaries, to provide an insight into the country through which the expeditions travelled, and to give us a good general idea of what the men went through and definite impressions of some of the privations suffered, including the vital importance of finding water supplies and feed for the 79 horses used to carry all of the supplies. Stuart did not take wagons, as he had learnt from Sturt’s journeys how they would slow him down. Rick reminded us of how different the settlement of South Australia was from the other States. Land was sold to encourage settlers to come, so it had to be surveyed first. The early surveyors like Light, Frome, Goyder and Stuart himself gradually pushed out the boundaries of exploration to enable land to be taken up. The importance of going to primary documents (like his diaries) as the original source of information was emphasised. One of Stuart’s diaries was shown; we all marvelled at the beautiful small handwriting, in pencil, some of it faded with time and it was quite an experience to be able to read from the pages of this precious item. Imagine him, working under very adverse field conditions, taking astronomical readings, plotting their location, drawing maps and writing up his diary, generally at night while the rest of his party was sleeping! Stuart’s map of the centre of the continent is, at first glance, simple. However, the degree of endurance, skill, sweat and effort which lies behind it is enormous. Today it remains a very relevant document and once you have seen this map you can understand how all European infrastructures devolve from Stuart’s 1860 expedition. The Adelaide to Darwin road follows his route, as does the Overland Telegraph line. The wheel ruts of settlers that followed became tracks, then a road which became the Stuart Highway. Eventually the railway came and Stuart forecast this. Against strict orders from Stuart not to, Stephen King made about 40 pencil sketches during the journey which crossed Australia from south to north and back again. Some are to be published this year. From school days, most of us are familiar with the painting of the planting of the flag on Central Mount Stuart. The mountain in real life however, is nothing like the one depicted! Artist’s licence perhaps?

April/May 2015 Page 17 An important discovery by Stuart was the Mound Springs. About 5,000 of these in groups of approximately 140 became stepping stones for Europeans to cross the country. Stuart did this until the party reached the rivers further north and the Oodnadatta track follows them. Rick explained that luck and an ability to read the country enabled Stuart to survive and he did not have contact with the Aborigines to help him. Rick showed us the actual water canteen of Coulthard, found, with his body, by Babbage, and read to us the last sad message which he had scratched on the outside. Other artefacts were also mentioned, such as the items taken by Andy Thomas into space, travelling 4.1 million miles with him. Andy is a descendant of Mr Waterhouse who was a member of Stuart’s expedition. How appropriate it was that a piece of Stuart’s tree (on which the letter S was carved to show they had reached the northern shore of the continent) and King’s flint and steel went with him, thus linking the horseback mounted early exploration of the Australian continent and the dizzy spectre of space exploration and travel? As Rick said, the past does link us to the present and it is a library like that of the Royal Geographical Society which makes it all so accessible and valuable. Our thanks go to Rick for such an informative talk and to our Library staff members for preparing the range of exhibits which we were so privileged to be able to see. Pam Deverell

Did You Know? 1. Eleven per cent of words in the English language use only the vowel E, such as cheers, extreme or precedent. 2. The most common adjective in the English language is good. The most common noun is time. 3. A shrug of the shoulders can also be called a hunkle.. 4. To outbabble someone is to talk over them and drown them out. Source: Forty strange facts about the English language by “the world’s biggest word lover” Paul Anthony Jones. The New Daily 2014

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Future Rare Books Discussion Groups The meetings are normally held on every 4th Thursday in the month, in the Society’s rooms. The program for the next few months is below. This event is free for members of the RGSSA. Non-members are the welcome to attend and tickets are available for $10 per person. The RGSSA welcomes new members who wish to make a contribution to the success of the society. To attend, please book through the website www.rgssa.org.au

28 May Bookbinding The library's oldest book was printed in 1482. Why have books this age survived the constant use over the years, come along and find out more as valuable volumes are examined and the mechanics of the bindings explained by an expert conservator. The Society has hundreds of books printed prior to the 1890s, come and see! 25 June Waterloo - 200 years on. The outcome of Waterloo shaped the history of Europe, and certainly that of South Australia. The Duke of Waterloo, Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, was one of the champions of the foundation of our colony. Trace the effects through the collections of the Society. 23 July Central Asia - silk Route. Prior to Marco Polo, 1254-1353, the Far East and the Silk trade was a mystery to the West, find out how the mystery unravelled through the collections of the Society. See how the intrigue of the East unfolded as trade developed. 27 August "D" size books. Big was important. Many exceptional volumes are as large as A2 or A0 metric paper sizes. Have you seen books as large as this? You will, at this session! 24 Todd Charles Todd, 1826-1910, was the Dick September Smith of the late 19th century, a visionary and entrepreneur. Todd was an astronomer and responsible to one of the largest engineering feats Australia has ever seen. Learn much more about his achievements.

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Member’s Article – How Did the Continents Get Their Names? What does a goddess from ancient Greece, a constellation, a compass point, an Italian explorer and the title to a book have in common? They are all behind to the naming of the continents. This investigation followed when a question arose concerning the northern boundary of Australasia. Did this include New Guinea or was its southern border which made the boundary to Australasia? The following forms a thumbnail sketch of findings made in trying to document some ideas behind the names of the continents. Europe The name Europa (daughter to Agenor, King of Phoenicia) was the name of a part of central Greece in ancient times. The name became extended to the whole of Greece, eventually going beyond the mountains to the north to include all lands west of the Black Sea (1). To the Greeks, who were something of a maritime nation, Europe was 'the mainland'. Across the Aegean Sea the land was called Anatolia; to the south, what we call North Africa, was referred to as Libya. Because of the civilised and prosperous nature of these neighbouring regions, trade and commerce took place. This contrasted with the land northwards, where the great open steppes, forests, large rivers and more severe climate contrasted with their locale (2). The lack of Greek-speaking peoples also gave rise to the term 'barbarians' because the noises used were "bar-bar" (unintelligible) (2). Asia It took the Romans to use the term Asia because the land to the east of the Aegean Sea became the Province of Asia (2). This may have happened because there was an Asyrrian word "Asu" - meaning 'east'. Little did they know how far east the land mass would extend. The Greeks and Romans both referred to Asia, being content to lump it all together as the known world to the east. Only in more modern times were Europeans able to appreciate the full extent of

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Asia following many sea voyages. It took until 1778, though, for the last of James Cook's explorations to confirm that Asia was a separate land mass from America (2) when he entered what we now call the Bering Strait. It was a further 100 years for a successful confirmation that there was a continuous northern seaboard to the Eurasian land mass, courtesy of the Swedish explorer Baron Adolf Nordenskold in 1878-9. Africa Again we can look back to ancient times to discover the use of this name. The Greeks called the coastline to the south of the Mediterranean Sea "Libya". Some consider this name to be associated with ancient Berber tribes found along this coastline. The Romans, though, used other terms for the area. 'Aprica' (sunny), 'aphrika' (without cold), 'Afriga' (the land of Afrigs - a Berber community to the south of Carthage) all point toward the name Africa. The Romans had several provinces along the Mediterranean coast mostly serving as trading posts (2). Inland, again, got lumped together to form a diffuse land area. Antarctica This is the more unlikely name which one would associate with ancient Greece. But to the ancients the stars at night were important. From Greece The Great Bear (Ursa Major to the Romans) would have been prominent to the north. Also it would have been visible all year round. It happens that the Greek for bear is Arktos, thus our word Arctic; Ant-arctic is therefore the opposite. The history of the land to the south, however, can be traced back to Aristotle (384 - 322BC). He declared that "… there must be a region bearing the same relation to the southern pole as the place we live in bears to our pole" (5). The concept depended on the hypothesis that land masses needed to be balanced around the world. Mathew Flinders, having circumnavigated Australia in the early 1800s, felt that it was unlikely there was another land mass further to the south. Ice-covered areas were seen to the south in the 1830s but it took until the Scottish cartographer George Bartholomew put the name to a map in the 1890s. (3)

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The Americas Although Columbus has the honour of “discovering” North America, he was never able to confirm that this New World was not part of Asia, which he had hoped. Columbus, it seems, spent most of his time in the Caribbean hoping to find great wealth from discovering gold. He was partially successful, discovering small amounts of gold, but kept running into trouble 'back home', even spending some time in prison (6). It seems that the Italian Vespucci Amerigo is credited with providing the name to the continent. The voyage of 1501-2 convinced him that the recently discovered lands were not part of Asia but a 'new world'. In 1507 Martin Waldseemuller printed at Saint-Die in Lorraine the "Four voyages of Amerigo" together with a map. Initially only today's South America got the title "America" but soon after the name was used for all the 'new lands' (2). It was left to Vasco de Balboa (1475-1517) to be the first European to see what we now call the Pacific Ocean. Like many from Europe, Balboa was out to make his fortune. Balboa was able to encourage a group of colonists from Hispaniola (where the native peoples had killed many colonists) to travel westward and establish a colony (1511) on the Isthmus of Panama called Darien. He became an interim Governor. Leading an expedition he crossed to the south, hoping to find gold, expecting to find a sea and also gain favour with King Ferdinand. While he didn't find the precious metal, he did see the Pacific Ocean, claiming it and all of its shores for Spain. It was Ferdinand Magellan (1480 - 1521) who gave this 'new' ocean the title of "Pacific" (1520) due to its calmness. Presumably having rounded Cape Horn anything would be calm! Australasia In 2009 The State Library of Queensland mounted an exhibition called "Mapping the Great South Land". The following includes extracts from the guide which accompanied it. Most people accept that Mathew Flinders, following his circumnavigating voyage, was the first to use the term Australia. In the dictionary (1), though, the

April/May 2015 Page 22 word 'austral' is derived from the latin 'australis', meaning southern. As mentioned above, Aristotle believed that there should be a land mass to the south (5). A mapmaker in the 4th Century, Macrobius, used the term 'Australis' on his maps (3) and the Portuguese (1528) debated over 'Terra australis incognita' following their brief encounters along parts of the northern shores. Charles de Bosses seems to be the first to talk of Australasia in his "Histoire de navigations aux terres austales" (1756) (3). The first uncontested record of a landing in Australia was in 1606 when Dutchman Willem Janszoon, hoping to reach New Guinea, found the west coast of Cape York. He set up camp near to the present day Weipa. (4) The Spaniard Luis de Torres probably discovered the strait between New Guinea and Cape York in 1605. His reporting, though, was either kept secret by the Spanish authorities and was either miss-filed or simply forgotten and only discovered when the British occupied Manila in 1762 (7). In 1769 the Scot Alexander Dalrymple came across Torres' report, told the British Admiralty and so Torres Strait was named. (4) Various maps of the 17th century, based on Janszoon, showed New Guinea and Cape York connected even being named Nieu Zelandt as a Dutch province. It took another 100 years when James Cook (1770) was able to sail between the two land masses coming from the east. (4) Names associated with the Dutch East India Company included Dirk Hartog (1616) and Abel Tasman (1642), naming Tasmania Van Diemen's Land. Finding little of commercial value, the Company abandoned further quests for the Great South Land. (4) By now the name New Holland was gaining traction. In 1688 the buccaneer William Dampier (1651 - 1715) explored the Australian coast in the vicinity of King Sound. His descriptions of the fauna and flora excited Joseph Banks so much that he determined to sail with Cook (1768). Dampier later (1699) was provided with a ship, The Roebuck, by the British Admiralty to explore New Holland and New Guinea (7). This was despite his piratical past! Not only did Dampier inspire scientists but also writers with his book "New Voyage round the World", of 1697 (7). Thus we have "Robinson Crusoe" and "Gulliver's Travels". (4)

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James Cook's voyage of 1768 was ostensibly to study the Transit of Venus in Tahiti. His secondary, and secret, mission was to chart the east coast of Australia with the help of "Discoveries in the South Pacific" of 1764 by Alexander Dalrymple, which included accounts of Torres' report of the strait. Cook was able to demonstrate that Australia and New Guinea were indeed separate land masses thus setting the scene for the Australia to receive its current moniker. (4) So it can be seen that several countries (France, Portugal, Holland, Spain as well as Britain) and many voyages could have contributed to the naming of our 'island'. In 1804 Flinders wrote to his brother "I call the whole island Australia, or Terra Australis". Later he wrote to Sir Joseph Banks mentioning "my general chart of Australia". This chart, which he began while imprisoned by the French in Mauritius, was the first map to use the name 'Australia'. Subsequently Flinders wrote his "A voyage to Terra Australis", published after his death in 1814, so he never saw the final product.

Edwin Mann

References:

1. Shorter Oxford Dictionary 2. Encyclopaedia Britannica 3. Wikipedia 4. "Mapping the Great South Land" - an exhibition presented by the State Library of Queensland in 2009. 5). Meteorologica Book 2, Section 5. 6). biography.com/ 7). anu.edu.au/biography/

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Member’s Article – Australian History in the Garden of England The county of Kent is the south-eastern part of England, bounded on the north by the Thames estuary and the North Sea and on the south-east by the English Channel, which is said to be the busiest shipping channel in the world. Although Maidstone is the county town, i.e. the administrative centre and ‘capital’ of the county, the city of Canterbury is probably more well- known worldwide because it has been given World Heritage status and is the heart of the Anglican church communion.

Map base © 2009 Esri Kent is often referred to as the Garden of England. The county lives up to its name, in part, as the home of the National Fruit Collection, which has over 4000 varieties of apples, pears, plums, cherries, hazelnuts, currants and quinces and is claimed to be the largest fruit collection in the world. It is based at Brogdale, on the outskirts of the ancient port of Faversham. While in England in 2013, I discovered that Sir Joseph Banks once lived in the county of Kent. Banks married Dorothea Hugessen whose family owned an estate, known as Provender, a few kilometres from Brogdale. It was reported that Banks planted two trees in the grounds of Provender: Spanish Chestnut (Castanea sativa) and Hickory (Carya sp.). The present owner of Provender has recently sent me the following information about the trees: The chestnut tree that Joseph Banks planted is at the side of the house next to the walled garden. … The hickorys are just standing, they were badly hit by the storm of '87 and for health and safety reasons will have to come down when I eventually do that part of the garden, luckily they have self-seeded so I won't lose the line.

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A hurricane tore through southern England in October 1987, devastating large areas of mature woodland, as well as buildings. Graphic accounts can be seen on You Tube. I was privileged to visit Provender on a dull day in January 2015. I was permitted to open an window and take a photograph of the Spanish chestnut tree planted by Joseph Banks.

Provender House 2013

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Entrance to Provender House and park 2013 The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia (RGSSA) owns Banks’ diary of his voyage to Newfoundland, off the east coast of Canada. The diary is now kept in the Society’s York Gate Library. His writing is sometimes difficult to read, as can be judged from the extract below. Fortunately the Society also owns a transcript of Banks’ text by Averil Lysaght, which includes the botanical names of the plants he describes. Her transcript of the same page is included here

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The following is a transcript of page 9 [above] of Banks’ diary, including the botanical names of the plants he mentions.

(1) Tulip trees [*Liriodendron tulipifera L.] to we saw of a size inferior to none we had seen Except that in Mr Phipps's Garden at Stoneham At 1⁄4 past 1 P.M. Weighd Anchor from Plymouth Sound Wind E N E Course Continues Perfectly good about 12 today we judged ourselves 12 Leagues from the Nearest Land which was the westernmost of the Scilly Islands a little before that I found on board the insect which the Fishermen call the (2) Black Caterpillar, Tipula Nigra [unident.], about 2 spoke with a french ship Bound for N°fLand we saw a good deal of Sea weed today we caught only 2 sorts upon a hook hove out for that (3) the first Knotted Sea weed, Fucus nodosus [*Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis] ‐ the other the (4) Podded Fucus, Fucus Siliquosus [*Halidrys siliquosa (L.) Lyngb.

To be continued. Uni Carnegie

References Provender www.provenderhouse.co.uk

Member’s Article – Sturt’s Historic Blazed Tree - Birdsville

On the outskirts of the town of Birdsville in a depression alongside the new elevated road from Winton there remains an old dead tree containing a blazed shield on its trunk (see photo 1). The faded inscription (see photo 2) within the blazed shield appears to read as follows: (BROAD ARROW) - 1W - 388 - CS

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A suggested interpretation is as follows: CS – Charles Sturt; 1W – 1st well; 388 is possibly the number of days elapsed since Sturt’s expedition left the junction of the Anabranch and the River Darling (the last known place of civilisation), or it represents the distance from the base camp at Depot Glen. On the last part of his expedition, Sturt records in his journal that because of the severe drought they had encountered, the party dug 4 shallow wells to obtain water and hopefully provide them with a supply of water on their return – only the first well dug still contained water on their perilous return journey. If this find is correct then it means Sturt’s route is a lot closer to the future town of Birdsville than previously recognised as indicated in Ivan Rudolph’s book – “Sturt’s Desert Drama”. I believe such an important historic tree should be preserved and protected with fencing and suitable signage. Any comments or feedback from members/readers would be appreciated.

Paul Tucker

E-mail [email protected]

April/May 2015 Page 29 Advance Notice

RGSSA group visit to the Art Gallery of South Australia

For their exhibition of Treasure Ships: Art in the Age of Spices (with books on display from the RGSSA Library)

On Friday 19th June 2015 Meet in foyer at 10.20am For 10.30am tour

Cost $15.00 includes entrance fee and exclusive tour Numbers 10 minimum-20 maximum Enquiries bookings RGSSA office

New Members We extend a warm and cordial welcome to the following new members and trust you will enjoy a long and rewarding association with the Society Cardijn College Barry Hartley Michael Radzevicius

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THE LIBRARY The Society’s library was built on the collections acquired by William Silver in 1905, Thomas Gill, the Society’s first treasurer, in 1923 and a significant collection from the estate of Dr Frederick Benham in 1939. It now numbers 25,000 titles.

Rare books: The library includes 27 books published before 1599. The oldest is a beautifully bound version of Ptolemy’s Geographia (1482) - See ‘York Gate Library Centenary Exhibition catalogues (Terra Cognita)’ under Library at www.rgssa.org.au

Over 200 manuscripts (listed on website): including three manuscripts of Sir Joseph Banks, a number of Australian explorers’ diaries and 18 original George French Angas watercolours, including the Rio de Janeiro series.

Over 800 maps: including many early South Australian maps. Periodicals (listed on website). Includes the journals of most Australian geographical, historical and royal societies.

Pictorial collection (listed on website): over 2,000 photographs, paintings and drawings.

Artefacts/relics collection (listed on website): includes Colonel Light’s surveying equipment. http://www.rgssa.org.au/Library_Overview.htm

Deadline for the June/July issue of GeoNews is 8th June 2015

Editor’s email address for contributions is [email protected] It would be helpful if any items for publication were submitted in text ‘Times New Roman 16 Font’ Photographs in JPG 640 x 280

RGSSA Website www.rgssa.org.au

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Royal Geographical Society of South Australia (Inc.) 2015 LECTURE PROGRAM and EVENTS

Monthly meetings are generally held at 5:30pm in the Goodman Building Lecture Theatre on Hackney Road, within the Botanic gardens (enter and park in the Hackney Road car parks). Some meetings for 2015 do have alternate times and or venues. See the full Program for other activities. Date/Time Speaker Topic/Location

19th February Melissa Nursey-Bray Indigenous peoples of China: social trends and demography- Goodman Building 5.30pm 19th March Allan Holmes Fire; the effect of climate change on the flora and fauna of the Mt Lofty Ranges- Goodman Lecture Theatre 5:30pm 16th April Graham Spurling AM Annual General Meeting & Australian Manufacturing: history leading to future strategy – Goodman Building 5.30pm 21st May John Seaton Saudi Arabia ;expatriate Life- Goodman Theatre 5.30pm TBA May June RGSSA Awards by invitation Government House 5.00 pm

18th June Terry Krieg Walking with Warren Bonython” – Brock Lecture Goodman Building 5.30pm

16th July Rachel Kuchel Lutheranism in SA; its origins and contributions to South Australian life- Goodman Lecture Theatre 5.30pm 20th August Peter Knife The Railways of Eyre Peninsula- Goodman Building 5.30pm 17th September Professor Victor Gostin The Acraman asteroid impact at the dawn of life- Goodman Building 5.30pm 15thth October Bill Plant Forecasting in Antarctica: the role of meteorology at Australia’s bases- Goodman Building 5.30pm 19th November Visit to the SA Maritime Museum- Meet at Lipson Street Port Adelaide at 5.30 pm and have Dinner after 10th December Christmas Dinner Naval Army and Airforce Club, Hutt St, Adelaide 6.30pm for 7.00pm

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