About Us

Who is Strzelecki

Born in Głuszyna near Poznań in South Prussia (today Poland) in 1797 as the third child of Franciszek Strzelecki, a small landed proprietor and his wife, Anna Raczyńska. Strzelecki was educated in Warsaw and then lived in Kraków.

In 1830, Strzelecki left Poland for England where he lived for four years. On 8 June 1834 he sailed from Liverpool to New York. He traveled much in North and South America, Cuba, Tahiti and the South Sea Islands, and went to New Zealand probably about the beginning of 1839. He arrived at Sydney on 25 April 1839. At the request of the Governor of New South Wales, George Gipps, he made a geological and mineralogical survey of the Gippsland region in present-day eastern Victoria, where he made many discoveries. He made the first discovery of gold in Australia in 1839. Gipps feared the effects of gold on the colony and persuaded Strzelecki to keep his discovery secret.

Later in 1839 Strzelecki set out on an expedition into the Australian Alps and explored the Snowy Mountains with James Macarthur. In 1840 he climbed the highest peak in Australia and named it Mount Kosciuszko, to honour Tadeusz Kościuszko, one of the national heroes of Poland and an American War of Independence war hero. From there he made a journey through Gippsland. From 1840 to 1842, based in Launceston, Strzelecki explored nearly every part of Tasmania, usually on foot with three men and two pack horses. The Governor, John Franklin, affording him every help in his scientific endeavours. On 22 April 1843 he left Australia after having traveled 11,000 km (7,000 miles) through New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, examining the geology along the way. For his work in Australia, Strzelecki took the title of ‘Count’.

Upon his arrival back in London, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and awarded a Gold medal for "exploration in the south eastern portion of Australia". The society still displays his huge geological map of NSW and Tasmania for public viewing. He was also made a member of the Royal Society. He gained widespread recognition as an explorer as well as a philanthropist.

Today, the Strzelecki name is embedded into Australia’s geographic and geological heritage. Among others, the following places and landmarks bear his name:

  • Strzelecki Ranges, Victoria, in which is located the township of Strzelecki. The Strzelecki railway line runs through the ranges to the township.
  • Mount Strzelecki, Northern Territory , Strzelecki Peak, Flinders Island
  • Strzelecki Creek, South Australia , Strzelecki Highway, Victoria
  • Strzelecki Track, South Australia , Strzelecki Desert, east of Lake Eyre in South Australia, Strzelecki Scenic Lookout, New South Wales