Fort Bourke

Today we headed to the site of Fort Bourke. The road was not too bad but we had to wrangle a locked gate that was in a poor state of repair. We had picked up a key from the info centre. Interested to be in the area but suspect it was quite different when the explorers were there.

The fort is a replica.

From the sign at the location.
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On 27 May 1835, Major Thomas Mitchell and his exploring party of 21 men constructed a stockade in two days.

This was apparently located 270m from the Darling River at Eight Mile lagoon.on highest ground fhe neighbourhood...an elevated and extensive plateau."

The Stockade was built as a place of defence and security against possible aboriginal attack, especially for the seven men and stock to remain there while the rest of the party explored downstream by boat.

Mitchell named the location Fort " Bourke" after the Governor of New South Wales, with the possibility that it may someday be developed into a township.
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