William_Parr_(explorer)

William Parr (explorer)

William Parr (explorer)

Land surveyor, mineral surveyor, explorer in Australia

William Parr was an Australian explorer, known for his roles of mineralogist and cartographer with John Oxley, as expedition leader with Benjamin Singleton, and as trailblazer for the successful expedition by John Howe.

Quick Facts Occupation(s), Known for ...

Biography

He arrived in the colony of New South Wales as a convict in 1813, on the Fortune. He was a land surveyor and draughtsman by profession, and was employed on arrival by the Surveyor General's Department as a mineral surveyor. In 1817 he took part in two separate journeys of exploration.[1][2][3]

Exploring with Oxley

In mid-1817 John Oxley led an expedition of 13 men (including himself) to follow the courses of the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers. He was accompanied by Parr, who had been granted a ticket of leave by Governor Macquarie. Parr’s roles were those of mineralogist and cartographer,[4][5] where he was responsible for production of a chart of the journey.[2]

Expedition leader with Singleton

In October 1817, Parr set out in charge[6] of a party of men including Benjamin Singleton and Aboriginal guides to find a route, suitable for wagons, to the Hunter River. They almost reached the Hunter Valley before turning back.[3] Singleton was unhappy and had already turned back, leaving Parr to continue alone.[6]

Trailblazing for Howe

When, in 1819, John Howe managed to reach the Hunter, he followed in part the route discovered by Parr and Singleton.[7]

Confusion with another William Parr

A convict named Thomas William Parr arrived in the colony of New South Wales as a convict in 1788, on the Alexander, a ship of the First Fleet.[8] He is shown on the list of convicts of the First Fleet as William Parr, aged 47 years on embarkation.[9][10]

In some sources the activities of the younger Parr (the subject of this article) have been incorrectly credited to the older Parr (who would have been about 76 years of age in 1817).

References

  1. [1]
    "Convict records: William Parr". History Australia. 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  2. [2]
    "1817 Chart – Explorer John Oxley following the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers". NSW State Archives. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  3. [3]
    "William Parr's Route to the North". The Convict Trail Project. 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  4. [4]
    Martin Hambleton (1934). "Expeditions of John Oxley: Discovery of Liverpool Plains [chapter 14 of "The story of Australia"]". The Institute of Australian Culture. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  5. [5]
    Favenc, Ernest. "The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888 Part I Chapter II". Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  6. [6]
    "Journey from Windsor to the north by a 'gentleman' convict". NSW State Archives. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. [7]
    Gray, Nancy (1966). "Howe, John (1774–1852)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 30 September 2019. On 30 October 1817 he set out from Windsor in charge of a party including Benjamin Singleton and three convicts.
  8. [8]
    "Parr, Thomas William". Trove. Design and Art Australia Online. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  9. [9]
    "Full list of convicts transported on the First Fleet". First Fleet Fellowship Victoria Inc. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  10. [10]
    "The First Fleet Register". University of Wollongong. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
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