Peter Egerton Warburton. Journal of Messrs. Elder and Hughes' exploring expedition from central Australia to Perth (90pp.), 15 April 1873-18 May 1874

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The journal is signed by Warburton and dated 18 May 1874 and appears to be a shortened copy of his original journal. The expedition, which left Adelaide on 21 September 1872, was funded by two leading South Australian pastoralists, Thomas Elder and Walter Hughes. Warburton's party comprised four Europeans, two Afghan camel-drivers, and an Australian Aborigine. After a short introduction, the daily entries begin on 15 April 1873, when the party left Alice Springs. They first followed the overland telegraph line northwards before heading west to Mount Hay. The long journey was generally in a north-westerly direction and covered extremely arid country. The entries, which are often brief, describe the terrain and refer to the constant search for water and feed for the camels, sinking wells, the gradual loss of all but two of the camels, encounters with Aborigines, dust storms, the heat, snakes and ants, shortages of food, illnesses, the likelihood of death by starvation, and the search for the Oakover River (discovered by Frank Gregory in 1861). Warburton reached the Oakover on 7 December 1873 and De Grey Station in the Pilbara on 11 January 1874.

Sir Anthony Musgrave, the governor of South Australia, sent a copy of the journal to Lord Carnarvon, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on 8 September 1875. Warburton's journal, edited by Charles Eden, was published under the title Journey across the western interior of Australia (London, 1875).

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