Francis Cadell (explorer)

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For the Scottish artist, see Francis Cadell (artist).

Francis Cadell c. 1879

Francis Cadell (9 February 1822 – 1879) was a European explorer of Australia.

Cadell was born in Cockenzie, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, the second son of Hew Francis Cadell, mine-owner and shipbuilder. Educated in Edinburgh and at Cuxhaven, Germany. He joined the East Indiaman Minerva at 14, and sailed in her to the first China war in 1839, later claiming a part in the siege of Canton. Soon after he was given a ship by his father.

Cadell went to South America, had experience of river navigation on the Amazon River, and visited Australia in 1849. Originally, Cadell's reason for going to Australia was to find gold.

1 Steaming on the Murray River
2 Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria
3 1867 Expedition to Northern Australia
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Steaming on the Murray River

Cadell returned to Australia in 1852 and became interested in the navigation of the Murray. In 1850 the South Australian government had offered a bonus of £4000 to the owners of the first two steamers that should successfully navigate the Murray to the junction of the Darling River. Cadell gave orders for the construction of a steamer in Sydney and, while it was being built, explored the Murray in a canvas boat, in which, with four men, he travelled 1300 miles. In June 1853 his steamer the Lady Augusta successfully passed through the breakers at the mouth of the Murray, and on 28 August left Goolwa, South Australia on a voyage up the Murray with Cadell in command. Among the passengers were the governor, Sir Henry Young and Lady Young. They returned on 14 October having reached a point 1500 miles up the river.

A few months later it was ascertained that the Murray was navigable as far as Albury, New South Wales and the Murrumbidgee River navigable to Gundagai. Cadell had carried a considerable quantity of wool and much trade was expected with the Riverina squatters. A gold and silver candelabrum was presented by the settlers to Cadell, with an inscription that it had been presented to him "in commemoration of his first having opened the steam navigation and commerce of the River Murray 1853". This was not entirely accurate as J. G. and William Randell had constructed an earlier steamer which had traded on the Murray as early as March 1853. However, it was a much smaller vessel and not eligible for the bonus offered by the government. Cadell was also presented with a gold medal struck by the legislative council, and he joined with others in forming the River Murray Navigating Company. The establishment of inland customs houses and the refusal of the three colonies to join in the snagging of the river, created difficulties for the company, and the failure of Port Elliot as a harbour led to more than one steamer being lost. The company which had at first enjoyed good profits failed and Cadell lost everything he had. He went to Victoria, did exploring work in eastern Gippsland, and in 1865 was in New Zealand being employed by the New Zealand government.

[edit] Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria

While in Victoria, Cadell was a member of the Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria which organised the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860. Cadell offered to transport the expedition's equipment by steamer to the value of £500 for free. However his opposition to the appointment of Robert O'Hara Burke to the post of expedition leader meant Burke refused Cadell's offer and transported the stores overland by instead, a decision that slowed the progress of the expedition considerably.

[edit] 1867 Expedition to Northern Australia

In February 1867 the South Australian government sent Cadell to the Northern Territory "to fix upon a proper site for the survey of 300,000 acres [1,200 km²]". His selection of a site on the Liverpool River was much criticized at the time, and was eventually rejected. He became involved in whaling, trading, and pearling. He had been able to give the authorities much valuable information about the country, but the climate of the territory and its great distance from other centres of population made its development a problem which had not been solved more than half a century after his visit. Cadell then took up trading in the East Indies, and when sailing in the Gem to the Kei Islands near New Guinea he was murdered by the cook's mate, about March 1879.

A model of his canoe is in Prestongrange museum. His family name is commemorated by Cadell Strait in the Northern Territory.