On December 16, 1824 the eight-strong party of Hamilton Hume and William Hovell reached the waters of Corio Bay after a two-month trek from Yass in New South Wales. Their aim had been to be the first Europeans to make the journey overland to the the waters on Bass Strait. They left Yass, a day late, on October 17. It was an epic journey that tested the men physically and emotionally, demanding all the skill and tenacity that each individual possessed.

The journey and the impacts of its discoveries have been an important topic in our Society’s magazine and more broadly in historical literature. The Investigator magazine covered the topic in its most recent edition. The article ‘Knowing the Past, but not captive to it’ (Vol. 58, No. 4, December 2024) examined the changing attitudes to significant colonial endeavours, expansion and settlement, acknowledging their destructive impact on First Nations people.

Hume and Hovell’s journey was also a feature of one of the first Investigator articles in the Story of Geelong series in 1966 (Vol. 1 No. 5, December 1966). Our current president, Harry Roberts, also addressed some of the mysteries that still surround Hume and Hovell’s time beside Corio Bay in a video posted on our website.

For many older Australians the 1824 story of Hume and Hovell is very familiar but the passage of time and conflicting narratives surrounding the European settlement of Australia has diminished its prominence. For those with an interest in history, there is much to focus upon in that relatively short and successful period of exploration.

For such a well documented endeavour there are a number of key mysteries that still intrigue, there is also the fascinating dynamics that existed between the two leaders, which is often symbolised by their tussle over a frying pan. Of course there is the important question of their role in the displacement, disenfranchisement, and destruction of Indigenous societies who had occupied the land for thousands of years.

To focus our readers’ minds the Society has brought together some of the articles on Hume and Hovell both from its pages and elsewhere:

• In March 2025 we have added an article Martin Williams and Terry Scott debunking claims that Hume & Hovell never reached Point Lillias in 1824.
• We have the article from the Investigator published in 1966,
• The article from our current Investigator edition Hume and Hovell: ‘Knowing the Past, but not captive to it’ and
• Harry Robert’s fascinating ‘Who fired the cannon?’ video,
• A link to an interesting article from Kings College London that mixes a re-telling of the journey with the story behind William Bland’s account of the journey that was first published in 1831.
• Next we provide a link to the Victorian Historical Journal’s 2021 article by Martin Williams who conducts a forensic analysis of the three maps produced as a result of the 1824 journey. His analysis is sure to trigger debate as he takes a no-holds barred approach to the documents and those making use of them.
• Finally there is a list of references to Hume and Hovell in the Investigator magazine from 1966-2009.