Alfred Giles (explorer)


Alfred Giles, born in Datchet, England, was a South Australian bushman, drover and explorer who crossed Australia from south to north seven times, mostly in connection with the building of the Overland Telegraph Line 1870–1872.

History

Giles was a son of Christopher Giles Snr, a member of the Corn Exchange, London, and his wife Hannah Giles, née Tester.
He came to Australia with his parents, three brothers and two sisters, leaving London on 21 January 1849 on the Calcutta, arriving in South Australia on 22 June 1849. They were accompanied by a large quantity of merchandise and other property, including a portable cottage, which they erected at his 400-acre property on the River Wakefield.
In 1853 his father took up a lease of land at Ketchowla Station which is located between Terowie and Morgan. Giles and his family were later joined by Hillary Boucaut in 1861. In 1864, after a series of poor seasons and considerable losses, he sold his interest and retired to the city.
Alfred Giles was educated at J. L. Young's Adelaide Educational Institution, and after leaving school joined the party which John Ross had organised to traverse the country in 1870, planning the route for Charles Todd's Overland Telegraph Line, Giles being placed second in command. The party was the second to cross the unexplored interior of central Australia, 300 miles to the east of John McDouall Stuart's 1862 route. In the diary kept by Giles during the Overland Telegraph Survey Expedition, he records the movement of the exploration party between camps and includes drawings of expedition party members, the lyrics of a song by John P. Ordway, and other observations. On 4 January 1871, Giles wrote:
"Spelling all day in order to ascend Central Mt. Sturt, Mr. Ross started at 8 am to ascend the Mount and about 9 am Mr. Harvey and Mr. Hearn followed. At 11.30 am Mr. Ross returned having ascended the Mount, found the cairn stones raised by Stuart, and bringing with him the bottle buried by Stuart containing papers. The bottle is apparently one generally used for French capers and capped with oilskin and sealed; Inside is a thin roll also wrapped in waterproof cloth and tied with hemp, and outside all is a copy of the Adelaide "Observer" dated January 7, 1860. The whole is in excellent preservation although about eleven years since the Explorer planted it. Mr. Ross will forward the bottle unopened to Adelaide for the inspection of Mr. Todd. This is the first party to reach the Centre since the gallant Stuart planted the British flag in Central Australia."
Others involved with him in this project were George Chalmers of Daly Waters, and Jack Cleland of Port Adelaide, a hero of the tragedy in 1875. In 1871 Giles was the first to cross Leichhardt's Bar on the Roper River, after the famous explorer crossed it in 1845. In 1873, 5,000 sheep were overlanded from Adelaide by Alfred Giles for distribution to Telegraph Stations along the Line, such as Barrow Creek.
With his brother Arthur John Giles, he helped develop properties for pastoralist Dr. W. J. Browne. Among these were Newcastle Waters Station, Springvale and Delamere. Cattle, horses and sheep were brought into the Territory at different times for the purpose of stocking these properties.
Giles married Mary Sprigg at Naracoorte in 1880. They managed Dr. Browne's Spring Vale Station at the Katherine River, 7 miles from Katherine in the early 1890s, and they afterwards owned the Bonrook Station on the Stuck-Up Waterhole, South of Pine Creek.
About eight miles from Spring Vale he discovered a series of large caves, which he named the Kintore Caves, containing beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. He told how he once took Thomas Playford, a premier of South Australia, through the caves. The politician, who was remarkable for his huge bulk, got stuck tight between two stalactites, and one pillar had to be cut down before he was released.
Early in 1882 he established Delamere Station on the Flora River, and grew cotton.
Giles lived in the Territory for nearly 50 years, and died at his home at Marlborough Street, College Park or St. Peters.

Family

Siblings

Alfred's elder brother, Christopher Giles jun., was, with A. T. Woods, surveyors in Goyder's 1868 expedition, and with Charles Todd in 1870. He served at the Charlotte Waters repeater station until 1876 and remained with the Postmaster General's Department in charge of the accountancy section, until 1905 when he retired. He was a recognised authority on Middle-Eastern languages.
Other brothers included Arthur John Giles who died at Palmerston in the Northern Territory and Edgar Giles, another AEI prizewinner, who married Maude Amy Gliddon on 1 June 1876, daughter of prominent banker Arthur William Gliddon, had a home at Glenelg, South Australia. He died at Brunswick Junction, Western Australia.
There were two other siblings.

Wife and children

Alfred Giles married Mary Augusta Sprigg on 26 February 1880. Their children were:
Alfred Giles was no relation to the famous explorer Ernest Giles, though they knew each other professionally and were friends.

Some notes about plant names

The following plants are linked to Charlotte Waters by the various Gileses and are indigenous to the area: