Centenary of the Discovery of Lake Bonney

Centenary of the Discovery of Lake Bonney

On March 12, 1938, a memorial obelisk was unveiled at Barmera, South Australia, to commemorate the centenary of the European discovery of Lake Bonney by Joseph Hawdon and Charles Bonney.

In late 1837, the newly established colony of South Australia was facing the threat of famine. In response, Joseph Hawdon—who had returned to New South Wales—partnered with Charles Bonney to overland 300 head of cattle from the Goulburn district to Adelaide. The journey was a significant logistical feat and culminated in their arrival at the settlement on April 3, 1838. Along the way, the party camped beside a large freshwater lake, which Hawdon named Lake Bonney, in honour of his companion, Charles Bonney.

To mark the 100th anniversary of this event, the Barmera Tourist and Publicity Bureau organised the erection of a memorial obelisk. The unveiling ceremony took place at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, 1938, and was attended by representatives of the Royal Geographical Society of Adelaide, among others.

The obelisk features a bronze plaque with the following inscription:

"Erected by the residents of Barmera to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Discovery of Lake Bonney by Joseph Hawdon, on March 12, 1838."

During the ceremony, Mr. Sam McIntosh gave a commemorative address in which he praised Joseph Hawdon as "one of our greatest explorers," and described the droving journey from Albury to Adelaide as "one of the droving exploits in Australian history."

References:

1. Monument Australia. (2017). Centenary of the Discovery of Lake Bonney. Retrieved from https://monumentaustralia.org.au/search/display/50432-centenary-of-the-discovery-of-lake-bonney

2. Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (Renmark, SA), 24 February 1938.

3. The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 14 March 1938.