Forlorn Hope

On 7 May 1865 seven men set out to sail from Escape Cliffs in South Australia’s Northern Territory to Camden Harbour on the Kimberley coastline of Western Australia in a seven meter open boat which they named Forlorn Hope. Acutely disappointed with the progress at Escape Cliffs and outspokenly critical of its commandant, they were desperate to find a ship that could take them home to Adelaide. But Camden Harbour, a Victorian settlement, was on the point of collapse and they were forced to sail on until they reached Champion Bay (Geraldton) on the west coast 63 days and approximately 2600 miles (4200 km) after they set out. This is the story of the Forlorn Hope which was told in graphic detail at the time by its leader, Jefferson Pickman Stow.

This edition of Stow’s epic journal follows closely his account in the South Australian Advertiser but has been annotated for modern readers with the provision of historical and other background. His extensive and at times quite damning criticisms of Escape Cliffs and its commandant Colonel Boyle Travers Finniss have also been included