John Forrest

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John Forrest, 1898

Sir John Forrest , PC , GCMG (born August 22, 1847 in Bunbury , Western Australia , † 1918 at sea) was an Australian explorer and politician .

Life

The trained surveyor and his brother Alexander Forrest were commissioned in 1869 to carry out an expedition into the hinterland of Western Australia. He was supposed to research the country and look for traces of the missing German researcher Ludwig Leichhardt . After 19 weeks, which represented a constant battle against dying of thirst, they returned without having found a trace of Leichhardt. However, they reported on the numerous minerals and natural resources that they had discovered - today there are high-yielding mining mines in this area.

In 1870 they were sent out by Governor Frederick Weld to find a new overland route from Perth to Adelaide . Again the expedition crossed numerous desert areas before arriving at their destination. A telegraph line was soon laid on this route . The next joint expedition of the brothers John and Alexander followed four years later. From Geraldton on the west coast, they set off for the central desert areas. On their way east, they narrowly escaped an attack by Aborigines and were saved from dying of thirst by a surprising downpour. However, they had to leave the horses behind and came on foot to the telegraph line running north from Adelaide. This expedition was the first to cross Central Australia and the Victoria Desert from west to east.

In recognition of his achievements, John Forrest was given a prestigious position in the West Australian administration and 2,000 acres of land on which he started a farm. In 1878 he made his last extended trip to the northwest coast, where he also explored numerous mine areas. In 1890 Forrest became the first prime minister of the self-governing colony of Western Australia from that year and in 1901 a member of the first Australian federal government.

On February 6, 1918, he was informed that King George V had given permission to be the first Australian to be raised to the hereditary nobility with the title of Baron Forrest of Bunbury in the Commonwealth of Australia and of Forrest in Fife in the United Kingdom. However, he died childless before the formal appointment documents were issued to him, which is why the title was never legally created.

After his health deteriorated that year, he decided to go to England for medical treatment. On July 30, 1918, he set sail in Perth, but died on the crossing.

One of the oldest national parks in Australia near Perth is named after him, the John Forrest National Park and the village of Forrest in the Nullarbor Plain .

Honors

Postage stamp (1949)
  • On November 28, 1949, the Australian Post issued a 2½d postage stamp in honor of John Forrest.
  • 1994 Australia, $ 5 commemorative coin, 925 silver, 35.79 g, 39 mm, Canberra Mint, 18,312 mint

The Margaret River in Western Australia is named after his wife.

Web links

Commons : John Forrest  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Report on the West Australian expedition of Mr. John Forrest to find the traces of Leichardt by Ferdinand von Mueller and Kawerau (1870)  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See WD Rubinstein: The Biographical Dictionary of Life Peers. St Martin's Press, New York 1991. ISBN 0-312-01911-4 .
personal data
SURNAME Forrest, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES John Forrest, 1st Baron Forrest of Bunbury
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian explorer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH August 22, 1847
PLACE OF BIRTH Bunbury , Western Australia
DATE OF DEATH 1918
Place of death at sea