On September 30, 2024 William Wood, from the Foyle Special Collections Library at King’s College London, published an interesting article on the exploration of Hume and Hovell following an intriguing request from a researcher.

The request came from Martin Williams, an Australian historian with a particular interest in the 1824 journey. In June 2021 Williams had published in the Victorian Historical Journal a forensic analysis of the routes of early explorers of the Port Phillip District and the historical mistakes and misrepresentations that have arisen as journals and maps were altered, lost or misunderstood. (VHJ, Vol 92 No 1, 2021)

Williams suspected that the King’s College Library held a very early copy of William Bland’s revised retelling of Hume & Hovell’s expedition which had been published in 1831.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the copy held by King’s College was most likely delivered as part of a large and important dispatch sent by the Governor of New South Wales, General Sir Ralph Darling, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir George Murray, Colonial Office, London, and dated 28th March 1831.

Read the King’s College article by clicking the following button: