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The Explorers
A lively collection of extraordinary stories of adventure and discovery, The Explorers tells the epic saga of the conquest and settlement of Australia. Editor Tim Flannery selects sixty-seven accounts that convey the sense of wonder and discovery, along with the human dimensions of struggle and deprivation that occurred in the exploration of the last continent to be fully mapped by Europeans.Beginning with the story of Dutch captain Willem Janz's 1606 expedition at Cape York -- the bloody outcome of which would sadly foreshadow future relations between colonists and Aboriginal peoples -- and running through Robyn Davidson's 1977 camelback ride through the desolate Outback deserts, The Explorers bristles with the enterprise that Flannery explains as "heroic, for nowhere else did explorers face such an obdurate country".
400 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 1, 2023
Tim Flannery writes a compelling introduction to this collection of many tales of the exploration of Australia. In it he praises the massive contribution the Aboriginal guides and trackers made to keeping the Europeans alive - the Europeans who took the glory of being named discoverers and those first to complete various routes and circuits. Of course there was little achieved that the Aborigines had not already done.
They were not all willing guides, and not all of them helped. There were some men murdered by their assistant's, and some were abandoned to their fate. Some were unhelpful in all aspects of travel, unwilling to engage with other tribes, unwilling to carry another persons equipment, and unwilling to contribute to hunting. But in the main part though, these guides were the reason the Europeans stayed alive - they would select the route, find water and food, negotiate with other tribes and provide warnings of conditions and other dangers.
As to the stories of the explorers, there are just over sixty stories from Willem Jansz in 1606 to WJ Peasley in 1977. For each there is an introduction (by Flannery) to set the scene a small key map showing the approximate location, then an excerpt. The excerpts range from a page in length to 10 or 15 pages, and are taken from the explorers writing - books, diaries or letters.
Like many books of this ilk, the excerpts whet the appetite and don't always satisfy. Some are slightly dull, but most have something to offer. Many are familiar to those with any pervious reading of exploration in Australia, and equally as many are obscure.
There were ups and downs, at 385 pages it is a bit of a slog, but pretty easy to dip in and out of. I have read some of the source material, some of the books, and some books about the explorers, but was interested enough in more of these stories to want to read more.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
They were not all willing guides, and not all of them helped. There were some men murdered by their assistant's, and some were abandoned to their fate. Some were unhelpful in all aspects of travel, unwilling to engage with other tribes, unwilling to carry another persons equipment, and unwilling to contribute to hunting. But in the main part though, these guides were the reason the Europeans stayed alive - they would select the route, find water and food, negotiate with other tribes and provide warnings of conditions and other dangers.
As to the stories of the explorers, there are just over sixty stories from Willem Jansz in 1606 to WJ Peasley in 1977. For each there is an introduction (by Flannery) to set the scene a small key map showing the approximate location, then an excerpt. The excerpts range from a page in length to 10 or 15 pages, and are taken from the explorers writing - books, diaries or letters.
Like many books of this ilk, the excerpts whet the appetite and don't always satisfy. Some are slightly dull, but most have something to offer. Many are familiar to those with any pervious reading of exploration in Australia, and equally as many are obscure.
There were ups and downs, at 385 pages it is a bit of a slog, but pretty easy to dip in and out of. I have read some of the source material, some of the books, and some books about the explorers, but was interested enough in more of these stories to want to read more.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
March 10, 2016
Hard to rate this book as a work of the author because of course Tim Flannery only compiled a raft of extracts from the diaries of various early explores.
While the individual extracts are interesting enough in their own right, when compiled, a sameness comes over them as to render continued reading more of a chore than an enjoyment.
Not my favourite i'm afraid.
While the individual extracts are interesting enough in their own right, when compiled, a sameness comes over them as to render continued reading more of a chore than an enjoyment.
Not my favourite i'm afraid.
January 21, 2008
This is a collection of fascinating accounts written by early European explorers, beginning with the Dutch in 1604 and going through to 1977. It details their early encounters with the Aborigines, when the English gave them presents of tomahawks and handkerchiefs and the Aborigines willingly became their guides and helped them find water on their explorations inland.
There are chilling stories of men becoming weakened in the desert (and sometimes dying) while searching for days on end to find water. Above all, it shows the courage of the early explorers when boldly going into the unknown. It also shows a much darker side of our history, when the relations between the Europeans and Aborigines broke down and they became enemies.
This was a very thought-provoking book, and enabled me to better understand Australia's history and the events that brought us to where we are today. Humorous in some parts, scary in others, it overall left me with a sense of admiration and respect for both the original and new inhabitants of this country.
There are chilling stories of men becoming weakened in the desert (and sometimes dying) while searching for days on end to find water. Above all, it shows the courage of the early explorers when boldly going into the unknown. It also shows a much darker side of our history, when the relations between the Europeans and Aborigines broke down and they became enemies.
This was a very thought-provoking book, and enabled me to better understand Australia's history and the events that brought us to where we are today. Humorous in some parts, scary in others, it overall left me with a sense of admiration and respect for both the original and new inhabitants of this country.
September 17, 2018
Great survey of accounts from early Australian explorers. From the exhilaration of first encounters with the unknown, glimpses of shared humanity between Europeans and Indigenous people, but also the great cruelty of the colonialist project. Each account contextualised and sensitively introduced by T Flannery.
May 15, 2019
This is a very special book - giving voice to explorers. Most were quite respectful of aboriginal people who they met - some were not.
So glad to have read this book as preparation for outback travel in a couple of months time.
This is an amazing but harsh land and the explores were so tough. Most had strong will for survival and such a notable work ethic.
So glad to have read this book as preparation for outback travel in a couple of months time.
This is an amazing but harsh land and the explores were so tough. Most had strong will for survival and such a notable work ethic.
November 25, 2019
A rather curious book. Really a conglomeration of extracts from explorer's (of Australia) journals. I guess one of the things that fascinated me was that parts of Australia were still being "explored" up until 1977. And really significant explorations were still being made up until around 1900. Many of the significant explorations were being made at the time (or after) my own ancestors arrived in Australia in 1839.
Tim Flannery has either selected extracts where there are conflicts/interactions with the local blacks or this was an inevitable and frequent art of exploration. One thing that comes through the various narratives is that conflict with local aboriginals was not inevitable and in many cases the interactions were civil and even friendly. But there were also some very violent interactions where aboriginals were up agains firearms (And men on horseback) with their own wooden spears.
The other constant refrain is the shortage of water and the disastrous consequences of not having access to water. Today, this hardly comes as a surprise but I wonder about the character or foolhardiness of those explorers who set out into an unknown wilderness or desert with the conviction that they would be able to live off the land and find water on the way. As the explorations pushed further inland and into the dry desert areas the importance of aboriginal knowledge about water sources became more obvious and the examples of kidnapping and forcing aboriginals to divulge their water sources seemed to become more frequent.
Flannery makes the wry comment that one of the explorers found one of these water sources (that aboriginals had been caring for for 50,000 years) and proudly named it after himself and was astonished when the aboriginals took umbrage to this interloper who was claiming their water.
Flannery has put together a good selection of writings; I like his short pity introductions and I especially like the thumbnail maps which indicate where the action was taking place.
I give it threee stars.
Tim Flannery has either selected extracts where there are conflicts/interactions with the local blacks or this was an inevitable and frequent art of exploration. One thing that comes through the various narratives is that conflict with local aboriginals was not inevitable and in many cases the interactions were civil and even friendly. But there were also some very violent interactions where aboriginals were up agains firearms (And men on horseback) with their own wooden spears.
The other constant refrain is the shortage of water and the disastrous consequences of not having access to water. Today, this hardly comes as a surprise but I wonder about the character or foolhardiness of those explorers who set out into an unknown wilderness or desert with the conviction that they would be able to live off the land and find water on the way. As the explorations pushed further inland and into the dry desert areas the importance of aboriginal knowledge about water sources became more obvious and the examples of kidnapping and forcing aboriginals to divulge their water sources seemed to become more frequent.
Flannery makes the wry comment that one of the explorers found one of these water sources (that aboriginals had been caring for for 50,000 years) and proudly named it after himself and was astonished when the aboriginals took umbrage to this interloper who was claiming their water.
Flannery has put together a good selection of writings; I like his short pity introductions and I especially like the thumbnail maps which indicate where the action was taking place.
I give it threee stars.
Want to Read
January 23, 2014This has been on my radar
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews