East to west

Episode of Series “The Explorers [Bill Peach]”.
Dramatised documentary written and presented by Bill Peach. Edward John Eyre was the first white man to journey across the Nullabour Plain from the east coast to the west coast. He had originally organised and lead an expedition, beginning in Adelaide, that aimed to travel north through Australia’s centre. This attempt was hindered by mirages that prohibited him from finding a break in a series of lakes that would provide access to the north. Defeated by the desert yet determined not to return to Adelaide as a failure, he decided to attempt an east-west crossing that he had previously advised against. Accompanied by his friend John Baxter, his aboriginal guide Wylie, and two indigenous Australians, Eyre veered west. He persevered across the desolate and forbidding landscape, constantly searching for fresh water and shelter from the elements, as he headed for Perth. Unfortunately, Eyre and Wylie were the only two members of the group who eventually reached Perth following a tragic event that claimed the life of Baxter.