Index > 1839 Mt Bryan Expedition - Morgan
The 170th Anniversary of the Mt Bryan Expedition Commemoration Fair
was held at Morgan on the banks of the River Murray on 12th December 2009. The event was to commemorate the 170th Anniversary of the 1839 Mt Bryan Expedition led by Lt. Col. Gearge Gawler, Governor of South Australia and Captain Charles Sturt with a party of 13 other members, sailors and staff. The expedition departed from Currency Creek on November 26th by land and boat and arrived at Nor West Bend at Morgan on December 10th, 1839. As the expedition ended in tragedy surrounded by mystery and intrigue as to the disappearance of a young man on the expedition from England, Henry Bryan. Henry was a house guest of the Governor. Henry Bryan was never found, declared missing on a death certificate issued but never found to this day. The concept of the event was developed by the Morgan Community Development and Tourism Association supported by the Mid Murray Council. His excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC CSC RANR, Governor of South Australia attended the event and enjoyed the re-enactment of the expedition's arrival in Morgan featuring 40 South Australian Sea and Riverland Scouts rowing eight kilometres from Nor West Bend into Morgan in wooden boats dressed in the sailor uniform of the 1800's. (The governor is pictured above with two members of the Bryan family who were here to take part in the re-inactment). The Governor also opened a plaque in memory of the expedition on the park. The Scouts were then joined by the Morgan community players who were cast as the members of the expedition party. The narrative provided visitors to the event with an informative and creative summary of the personal interpretations of the explorers based on their diaries and reports produced in 1839 and 1840. |
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