Thomas Livingstone Mitchell
Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (born June 16, 1792 in Grangemouth in Stirlingshire , Scotland , † September 5, 1855 in Sydney , Australia ) was a Scottish explorer .
Life
Mitchell joined the British Army at a young age, during which time he gained a reputation as a cartographer . After serving in the military, Mitchell was appointed Assistant to the Supreme Land Surveyor of New South Wales in Australia in 1827 . Just one year later he became the chief surveyor himself. His task was to draw up plans for cities, bridges and streets and to carry out surveys. His main focus, however, was on the mapping of Eastern Australia, the results of which Mitchell published in 1835.
Mitchell led several expeditions in unexplored Australia between the years 1831 and 1845 and was able to gain large areas for the British colony . He undertook his most important expedition in 1836, which took him through New South Wales to the Murray River , then to Victoria and Portland . Mitchell published two travelogues in 1838 and 1848, and also published The Australian Geography , a book for use in schools.
On April 17, 1839 he was knighted as a Knight Bachelor ("Sir").
Mitchell enjoyed great popularity in Australia; He acquired this primarily through his handling of the Australian conditions. He showed this on various occasions, such as the participation of prisoners in research trips and the preservation of place names of the Aborigines .
In the opinion of the geologist David Oldroyd, the first geological maps of Australia were probably made by him .
The Mitchell River in Queensland is named after him.
literature
- David Oldroyd: Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792–1855): soldier, surveyor, explorer, geologist, and probably the first person to compile geological maps in Australia. Geological Society of London, Special Publications 287, 2007, pp. 343-373
- Mitchell, Sir Thomas Livingstone . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 18 : Medal - Mumps . London 1911, p. 618 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ William Arthur Shaw: The Knights of England. Volume 2. Sherratt and Hughes, London 1906, p. 341.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mitchell, Thomas Livingstone |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British explorer of Australia |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 16, 1792 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Grangemouth , Stirlingshire, Scotland |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 5, 1855 |
| Place of death | Sydney , Australia |