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LASSETER'S LAST RIDE: An epic of Central Australian gold Discovery
This story has been written from the related experiences of members of the expedition, and from the letters of Lasseter. The story of Lasseter's last adventures has been pieced together from the fragments of letters buried by him beneath the ashes of his camp-fires and found by Bob Buck when he was searching for the lost prospector.
Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1931
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About the author
Ion L. Idriess
69 books25 followersIon Llewellyn Idriess, who won the Order of the British Empire was a prolific and influential Australian author.He wrote over 50 books between 1927 to 1969. Idriess was able to convey an image of Australia that few of its nationals could recognise but that all of them could love and be proud of. From the pearling ships off the port of Broome, to the mighty Inland of Australia where all of Western Europe could fit several times over, Idriess experienced all of these places and attempted to convey to the reader the wonder and love he felt for his wild country.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 13, 2018
Idriess has pieced together the story of Lassiter's Expedition to rediscover his gold reef near the remote Central / Western Australian border.
Lassiter originally discovered the reef, while prospecting for rubies, but was lost in the desert soon after, and was close to perishing when a camel driver rescued him. Three years later, after returning to health, he an a surveyor named Harding relocated the reef, but on returning to civilisation were astounded to discover their watches were over an hour out - meaning all the bearings they took were also incorrect.
Western Australia was in the middle of a gold rush, and gold was literally being found all around, so investors had little appetite for an expedition to far off and isolated land.
This book explains what happened after Lasseter talked John Bailey into raising capital for a 1931 expedition, some thirty years after Lasseter first discovered the reef. The most well equipped expedition Australia had seen, with an aeroplane for scouting, a six wheeled trackless Thorncroft truck for desert travel, as well as personnel selected for their skillset and ability.
They also had native assistance in trackers and men able to communicate with the aboriginals in the remote areas, less used to the white man.
The above is a summary of the first two chapters, and doesn't even begin to tell the story.
Overall it is a simple enough read - it cleverly doesn't overdo the description of locations (as for 99% of the time they are not relevant tot he reader) and the language is simple. It isn't overly emotional, and doesn't over dramatise the situations, and has an element of humour at appropriate times.
Aboriginal guide Micky on seeing the Thornycroft vehicle: P13
"All a same plury sentrypede", he mused, adding "legs belonga him go round. Him make noise all a same mad bull camel. Him drink water all same too," he declared, as he watched them pouring in the petrol. "Him thirsty cow!"
Taylor blew a blast on the horn and Micky jumped three feet, to join shakily in the laughter while staring askance at the truck.
"What are you looking for now Micky?" asked Blakely.
"Him got wild horse longa belly?" inquired Micky. "Brumby horse sing out all a same longa that one!"
4 stars
Lassiter originally discovered the reef, while prospecting for rubies, but was lost in the desert soon after, and was close to perishing when a camel driver rescued him. Three years later, after returning to health, he an a surveyor named Harding relocated the reef, but on returning to civilisation were astounded to discover their watches were over an hour out - meaning all the bearings they took were also incorrect.
Western Australia was in the middle of a gold rush, and gold was literally being found all around, so investors had little appetite for an expedition to far off and isolated land.
This book explains what happened after Lasseter talked John Bailey into raising capital for a 1931 expedition, some thirty years after Lasseter first discovered the reef. The most well equipped expedition Australia had seen, with an aeroplane for scouting, a six wheeled trackless Thorncroft truck for desert travel, as well as personnel selected for their skillset and ability.
They also had native assistance in trackers and men able to communicate with the aboriginals in the remote areas, less used to the white man.
The above is a summary of the first two chapters, and doesn't even begin to tell the story.
Overall it is a simple enough read - it cleverly doesn't overdo the description of locations (as for 99% of the time they are not relevant tot he reader) and the language is simple. It isn't overly emotional, and doesn't over dramatise the situations, and has an element of humour at appropriate times.
Aboriginal guide Micky on seeing the Thornycroft vehicle: P13
"All a same plury sentrypede", he mused, adding "legs belonga him go round. Him make noise all a same mad bull camel. Him drink water all same too," he declared, as he watched them pouring in the petrol. "Him thirsty cow!"
Taylor blew a blast on the horn and Micky jumped three feet, to join shakily in the laughter while staring askance at the truck.
"What are you looking for now Micky?" asked Blakely.
"Him got wild horse longa belly?" inquired Micky. "Brumby horse sing out all a same longa that one!"
4 stars
September 1, 2022
A treacherous Outback expedition to find a Reef, with lack of water and food for days on end in the Desert. Many people were killed by the Natives, which also hampered the progress. The Reef is still yet to be discovered.
August 23, 2022
Not bad at all. Quite a rollicking account of the second expedition to find Lassetter’s Reef in the 1930’s
July 17, 2016
As with so many famous Australian explorers, the mystery of Lasseter’s disappearance and seeming failure is what drives the legend for other to follow in his footsteps of “discovery”. One has to wonder whether such people ever did disappear on the quests they are remembered for, or whether this is just a kind of propaganda to have others challenge themselves against their own demise in hopes of not only making their own discoveries but also making up for such previous shortfalls by others.
The propagators of such myths and legends are of course those who do not go out and risk their own lives. They merely invest sums of money from time to time, with mitigating risk allowances by drawing others into their schemes, thus diffusing the impact any loss might have on themselves. Being instigators of such joint efforts they naturally gain all the kudos should their particular scheme pay off.
Yet we are talking investing here. And we are talking most specifically of mining in that great dream-like vastness of wealth unrealised until someone can go out and harness it. Much of the wealth produced is by means of attention – otherwise known as “interest” – that such schemes can draw. And the attention paid then comes in the forms of thinking, dreaming, investing “extra” or unattached capital, and closer and closer into the singular personal commitment of heart and body, until the hands are employed in every waking moment to the pursuit of the dream that can no longer be put aside from one’s mind.
Thus Lasseter’s Last Ride becomes a study of idea and inkling into habit and discipline and finally into obsession without end. For Lasseter one assumes the end has come because his bones were eventually found and buried. But the telling of the tale makes his obsession continue in the hearts and minds of others who pursue the same illusive dream of “riches beyond compare”.
The cover image of the particular volume I read depicts the man on his horse wading through deep mud. Although this is from an actual event it is not the Last Ride. Rather it is the metaphorical “every possible opposition” that would bog down the dreams of man in his quest beyond himself. Rather than blues and dreary hues this image glows in yellows and reds, both colours of the desert and of challenge and activation. The ultimate tale of human endeavour is that there is always more to find than can be carried by any one person. What the hands cannot pick up the mind will carry with varying degrees of burden and hope.
Lasseter’s Last Ride is likely to be your first, just as it was for the writer Ion L Idriess. His whole career as writer of boys’ own tales of adventure began with this volume, and continues to inspire and challenge our understanding of ourselves and this vast country in which we feel significant by constant reminders of our seeming insignificance. If you can put a name on it, even a speck of sand can become meaningful. The more illusive the speck the more we put ourselves into chasing it to prove ourselves – whatever that may mean. There are signs everywhere, if we only look.
The propagators of such myths and legends are of course those who do not go out and risk their own lives. They merely invest sums of money from time to time, with mitigating risk allowances by drawing others into their schemes, thus diffusing the impact any loss might have on themselves. Being instigators of such joint efforts they naturally gain all the kudos should their particular scheme pay off.
Yet we are talking investing here. And we are talking most specifically of mining in that great dream-like vastness of wealth unrealised until someone can go out and harness it. Much of the wealth produced is by means of attention – otherwise known as “interest” – that such schemes can draw. And the attention paid then comes in the forms of thinking, dreaming, investing “extra” or unattached capital, and closer and closer into the singular personal commitment of heart and body, until the hands are employed in every waking moment to the pursuit of the dream that can no longer be put aside from one’s mind.
Thus Lasseter’s Last Ride becomes a study of idea and inkling into habit and discipline and finally into obsession without end. For Lasseter one assumes the end has come because his bones were eventually found and buried. But the telling of the tale makes his obsession continue in the hearts and minds of others who pursue the same illusive dream of “riches beyond compare”.
The cover image of the particular volume I read depicts the man on his horse wading through deep mud. Although this is from an actual event it is not the Last Ride. Rather it is the metaphorical “every possible opposition” that would bog down the dreams of man in his quest beyond himself. Rather than blues and dreary hues this image glows in yellows and reds, both colours of the desert and of challenge and activation. The ultimate tale of human endeavour is that there is always more to find than can be carried by any one person. What the hands cannot pick up the mind will carry with varying degrees of burden and hope.
Lasseter’s Last Ride is likely to be your first, just as it was for the writer Ion L Idriess. His whole career as writer of boys’ own tales of adventure began with this volume, and continues to inspire and challenge our understanding of ourselves and this vast country in which we feel significant by constant reminders of our seeming insignificance. If you can put a name on it, even a speck of sand can become meaningful. The more illusive the speck the more we put ourselves into chasing it to prove ourselves – whatever that may mean. There are signs everywhere, if we only look.
October 19, 2012
This was an interesting story about one of the most famous unresolved treasure stories of all time - Lasseter's Reef. The story is supposedly based on factual information from the final expedition, that included Lasseter, and their trip to relocate the reef of gold in the middle of one of the harshest environments on the planet - the middle of Australia.
The story goes that Lasseter discovered an extraordinarily rich vein of gold in some hills in a very remote area near the border on Western Australia and the Northern Territory. He didnt record the location accurately and encountered various difficulties on his way back to civilization and was unable to easily relocate the site.
This book tells of the next expedition to locate the golden fortune and the ill fortune that dogs the attempt. I have been fortunate to visit the countryside where the book is generally located and can only marvel at how tough these intrepid adventurers were.
The book was written in 1931, is easy to read and I found it entertaining with some interesting insights. The photos of the expedition added a great deal to the book. It was also interesting to see how the aboriginals in the book were portrayed - the language was certainly of the time and probably would be considered offensive today.
The story goes that Lasseter discovered an extraordinarily rich vein of gold in some hills in a very remote area near the border on Western Australia and the Northern Territory. He didnt record the location accurately and encountered various difficulties on his way back to civilization and was unable to easily relocate the site.
This book tells of the next expedition to locate the golden fortune and the ill fortune that dogs the attempt. I have been fortunate to visit the countryside where the book is generally located and can only marvel at how tough these intrepid adventurers were.
The book was written in 1931, is easy to read and I found it entertaining with some interesting insights. The photos of the expedition added a great deal to the book. It was also interesting to see how the aboriginals in the book were portrayed - the language was certainly of the time and probably would be considered offensive today.
January 19, 2013
This was my Dad's favourite book, I am told, so it was a pleasure to read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews