History
The first European exploration of the area was in July 1829 when a group, led by Captain Currie of the HMS Challenger and accompanied by botanist James Drummond marched a short distance inland from present day Rockingham and after climbing a small hill at what is now Baldivis, sighted a river in the distance. This was later named the Serpentine River which is to the north of the Murray and for some time was confused with the Murray which was not encountered until later that year.
In November, Dr Alexander Collie and Lieutenant William Preston and crew from HMS Sulphur piloted two whaleboats out of Cockburn Sound and at midday on 17 November 1829 crossed the ocean bar at present day Mandurah. After camping overnight, they sailed south down the Peel-Harvey Estuary to the southern extreme near the delta of the Harvey River where they had an amicable encounter with some local aborigines.
Due to strong winds, they sailed north out of the estuary without exploring the western shore where the Murray River enters the estuary. The group then exited through the ocean bar and sailed south along the coast as far as the Collie and Preston Rivers and the Leschenault Inlet before returning to the Peel-Harvey estuary on the 28 November 1829. From there they explored the Murray River delta which at the time included five entrances into the estuary. The boats managed to navigate about two miles (3 km) up the river before returning to Fremantle after the 12 day trip.
This was the first actual encounter with the Murray River and was named by Governor James Stirling after the Secretary of State for the Colonial Office in London, Sir George Murray.
Within a few months, settlers from the Swan River had started to explore the river and choose blocks along its banks.
Read more about this topic: Murray River (Western Australia)
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