Australia Felix (
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
for "fortunate Australia" or "happy Australia") was an early name given by
Thomas Mitchell to lush pasture in parts of western
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
he explored in 1836 on his third expedition.
On this expedition Mitchell was instructed to travel to
Menindee
Menindee (frequently but erroneously spelled "Menindie"
) is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, in Central Darling Shire, on the banks of the Darling River, with a sign-posted population of 980 and a population of 551 ...
, then down the
Darling River
The Darling River (Paakantyi: ''Baaka'' or ''Barka'') is the third-longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its conflu
ence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its long ...
to the sea, if it flowed there; or, if it flowed into the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest ...
to go up the Murray to the inhabited parts of the colony.
However lack of water forced Mitchell to follow the
Lachlan River
The Lachlan River is an intermittent river that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, located in the Southern Tablelands, Central West, and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia.
The Lachlan Riv ...
to the south-west as the only practicable route. He reached the
Murrumbidgee on 12 May and followed it to the Murray.
At the end of May, Mitchell reached the Darling and turned north upstream. He soon decided, while still about in a direct line from Menindee, to abandon the survey of the deserts around the Darling and to use his resources to explore the more promising country along the Murray.
Retracing his steps Mitchell went up the Murray until 20 June when he reached the junction of the Loddon where the country seemed so promising that he turned south-west into what is now Victoria and was so enchanted by the area he called it “Australia Felix”.
The reports of excellent farming land from Mitchell's return to Sydney with the news, started a
land rush.
References
External links
*
*
*
Mitchell, Sir Thomas Livingstone
History of Australia (1788–1850)
{{VictoriaAU-geo-stub