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"I confess a viler looking country never looked me in the face before."
- Edmund Kennedy on seeing the North Queensland coastline for the first time.
The Kennedy Retrace story
On 24 May 1848, Edmund Kennedy, leading a party of 13 men, 27 horses, 100 sheep, and 4 dogs set out on what is now described as one of the most ambitious expeditions in Australia's history. Only 3 survived.
160 years later, descendants of the expedition's survivors revisit the north Queensland landing site and set out on a journey of over 2500 km into Cape York to retrace their forefathers footsteps.
Led by expedition leader Tim Daniel and using historical maps and journals, the retrace followed the original route Kennedy took as he travelled north. Many of the camp sites are located in isolated parts of Cape York and even today remain inaccessible by road.
The descendents rediscover the journey their forefathers undertook so many years before and discovered there is more to the men behind the myth. Tony Pryce, great grandson of William Carron who was the Kennedy expedition botanist, has been living with the myth of his great grandfather since he was a small child, 'You do exceptional things to survive,' he says, 'I've been where their misery was and have been able to flesh out the man.'
The Edmund Kennedy story is a testimony to the Australian human experience, perseverance and endurance.
This landmark retrace has been captured by north Queensland filmmakers, Chris and Rosie Browning, who followed the retrace party and filmed a documentary of their journey.
Retrace itinerary
From Cairns, head to Rockingham Bay to explore from Camp 1 to the route over the range including the Tully River. Head up the Palmerston Highway to reconnect the route at Mt Garnet. Travel west along Emu Creek and locate Kennedy's camps along the river. North past Chillagoe, Palmerville and the Mitchell River, then on to Laura, Hann Crossing and the expedition turning point on the Annie River, south of Princess Charlotte Bay. Up the cape to Iron Range, locate the camp near the Pascoe River from which Goddard and Carron were rescued. Travel adjacent to the Shelburne Bay area where three injured members were left behind. Head to the tip of Cape York to attempt to find the place where Kennedy was killed on the Escape River. Culminate the retrace journey by locating the graves of Niblett and Wall on Albany Island where they were buried after being recovered from the Pascoe River.
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