s it is painful for the Government to be
deprived of them.

"Mr. Oxley entered the public service at an early period of his life, and
has filled the important situation of Surveyor-General for the last
sixteen years.

"His exertions in the public service have been unwearied, as has been
proved by his several expeditions to explore the interior. The public
have reaped the benefit while it is to be apprehended that the event,
which they cannot fail to lament, has been accelerated by the privations
and fatigues of these arduous services. Mr. Oxley eminently assisted in
unfolding the advantages of this highly favoured colony from an early
stage of its existence, and his name will ever be associated with the
dawn of its advancement. It is always gratifying to the Government to
record its approbation of the services of meritorious public officers,
and in assigning to Mr. Oxley's name a distinguished place in that class
to which his devotion to the interests of the colony has so justly
entitled him, the Government would do honour to his memory in the same
degree as it feels the loss it has sustained in his death."

Oxley died at Kirkham, his private residence near Sydney, on the 25th of
May, 1828. Though his judgment was at times at fault, as will be seen
later on, he was essentially a successful explorer; for, although he did
not in every case achieve the object aimed at, he always brought back his
men without loss, and he opened up vast tracts of new country. John
Oxley's personality is not very familiar, but the portrait presented to
the reader in this volume was taken in the prime of his life, before he
suffered the scars of doubtful battle with the Australian wilderness. It
has never been published before, and is taken from the original miniature
that he presented to Mrs. King, widow of Governor King, in 1810.

3.2. HIS FIRST EXPEDITION.

On this, Oxley's first journey of exploration, Evans accompanied him as
second in command, and another man who has left an immortal name was also
with him -- Allan Cunningham, officially known as King's Botanist.
Charles Fraser, well-known in connection with the early history both of
New South Wales and of Western Australia, accompanied Oxley under the
title of Colonial Botanist. There were nine other men in the party --
boatmen, horse-tenders, and so forth; they had with them two boats and
fourteen pack and riding-horses. A depot was first formed at the junction
of the small creek