In 1839, an expedition led by explorer Capt Charles Sturt in South Australia came across “a native burying place” as they navigated the Gawler River north of Adelaide. In a report on the expedition, Sturt describes “a circular mound of earth surrounded by fine tall gum trees, notched in various places”.
Sturt led several expeditions in the early days of colonisation. Before his reported trip up the Gawler, he followed the paths of rivers including the Murray and the Darling, hoping to find a rumoured inland sea.
