Northwich Memories: Peter Warburton of Arley Hall

By Sarah Griffiths on Apr 27, 09 08:34 AM in 1800-1899

Cheshire's Peter Warburton was renowned for his exploration of Australia and had two Australian mountain ranges, a river and a beetle named in his honour.

Peter Egerton Warburton was born in 1813 at Arley Hall and was the son of Revd Rowland Egerton Warburton and his wife Emma. Peter was educated at home and in France before joining the navy when he was 12 years of age. He started as a midshipman on HMS Windsor Castle and served in the navy until 1831; the final two years being spent at the Royal Indian Military College in Surrey. He then transferred to the British Army in India and rose to become a major on his retirement from the services in 1853.

He visited his brother in Western Australia in 1853 and decided to accept the post of Commissioner of Police in South Australia in the same year. He was dismissed from this position in 1867 after an enquiry, was offered the opportunity of reinstatement, but instead opted to become colonel of the Volunteer Military Force in South Australia two years later.

Between 1857 and 1874, Peter Warburton undertook a number of expeditions to explore the interior of the Australian continent. His early travels identified areas with agricultural potential for the government and he received some grants for his trouble.

The most ambitious exploration was in 1872 when he left Adelaide to establish an overland route to Perth. As the expedition leader, he had responsibility for seven men (including his son) and a number of camels. They reached Alice Springs in 1873 and then travelled across the desert, eventually resorting to killing all but two of their animals for sustenance.

They sought help when they arrived at the Oakover River, north of their destination, as all were close to exhaustion and suffering from scurvy. Peter Warburton was particularly badly affected having lost an eye. After recovering from their ordeal, the party reached their destination in 1874. They returned to Adelaide and Warburton received a grant of £1,000 from the government of South Australia and the rest of his party £500.

Peter Warburton travelled back to England briefly in 1874 but opted to return to Adelaide for his retirement and died in 1889. He published a book in 1875 on his expedition entitled 'Journey across the Western Interior of Australia' and received a medal from the Royal Geographic Society. This Cheshire expedition leader was also commemorated by his inclusion in a set of Australian postage stamps in 1976 on eminent Australian explorers.