Camels were first brouhgt into Australia for what famous expedition?

For a second time in the late 19th century two American gentlemen were to make a discovery that would go on to spark a national fascination. On June 21st the "Lobster" expedition of Lewis and Whelan, a small and disorganized group of men, embarked on what is almost always regarded as the greatest journey in recorded history, and left in the middle of June, carrying the first samples of camel milk ever obtained in any country, for safekeeping in Melbourne, Australia.

Although it is the only known milk sample to survive to this day it was not easy for the crew to find and store a large enough quantity to make a significant addition to their supplies, or at least to make a positive effect on the general public and the local economy.

On the 21nd July 1837 the small group of explorers met up with a more organised and well managed expedition led by John Robinson- Brown. The Australian National Museum (ANM) were given access to the samples, which they found to be remarkably healthy and strong, and the public were introduced to the remarkable sight and sound of the mummies which they found buried under a large amount of solid gold.

The discovery of the samples by these two parties combined with the results of a subsequent investigation by local traders made a big impression on the popular imagination. The two Australians and a British- American trader named William James were soon reported in newspapers for having discovered thousands of human skeletons buried under what are considered to be the largest number of ancient monoliths ever discovered anywhere in the world.

This is one of the oldest stories of what people thought to be a mystery. Some archaeologists have speculated that the mummies were created by an invading race of giants that tried to conquer the land that the Australians settled to their south.

The Australians claimed this "monolith invasion" was probably the work of a race of "primitive" humans, although it is generally believed that they came from America and then from Asia, possibly a result of one of both races being wiped out, or possibly one of them having become malnourished, but there is no proof of any such explanation.

The two groups were sent to Sydney by Robinson- Brown to take samples of human bone for study and preservation and an important reason for the expedition was that Australia had become a rich commercial source for the mummies in the late 18th century.

Although there was a belief that the British- American trader Charles Whelan had discovered the first specimen in New South Wales when he first explored Queensland he was later to discover that an important source for the Australian specimen was found in Sydney by William James, a trader and antiquarian.

One of the reasons that Robinson- Brown had to wait so long to get to Sydney was that Robinson- Brown and the Australian expedition had started to feel an "inertia" in the area which was later to become known as Monash Moor, due to the fact that it appeared as though the mummies were never going to be moved out of there.

The mummies remained in the area for over 200 years and were eventually moved to Melbourne in 1849, and at that time it was believed that they only lasted a couple of years. As part of this expedition Robinson- Brown also discovered a number of mummies from Asia also buried in the Monash Moor.

Although this discovery was highly controversial because of the fact that Robinson- Brown was the leader of the group that discovered the samples and the fact that most Australians wanted the skeletons to be returned to Sydney because of the "Monash Moor legend", it was also because the samples were of a very good quality.

Although he said he had found "the first record of an Indian mummy", Robinson- Brown also found that the bones he had found were of a much more recent Indian source, and that both of these samples were of very good quality.

Because of their great size they were difficult to deal with, and they were often not buried in the right places. Furthermore they were also exposed to the weather from having been disturbed for so long.

Finally, they showed that a mummy would probably not come from a particular culture, but from one, or a few, families. In 1876, when Robinson- Brown returned from Australia, he found evidence that the Australian samples of human remains were in fact the oldest to have been encountered in that particular region.

The remains were described as being made of "brittle and solid, bone with bones of great thickness, of which few were found. For a second time in the late 19th century two American gentlemen were to make a discovery that would go on to spark a national fascination.

On June 21st the "Lobster" expedition of Lewis and Whelan, a small and disorganized group of men, embarked on what is almost always regarded as the greatest journey in recorded history, and left in the middle of June, carrying the first samples of camel milk ever obtained in any country, for safekeeping in Melbourne, Australia.

Although it is the only known milk sample to survive to this day it was not easy for the crew to find and store a large enough quantity to make a significant addition to their supplies, or at least to make a positive effect on the general public and the local economy.

On the 21nd July 1837 the small group of explorers met up with a more organised and well managed expedition led by John Robinson- Brown. The Australian National Museum (ANM) were given access to the samples, which they found to be remarkably healthy and strong, and the public were introduced to the remarkable sight and sound of the mummies which they found buried under a large amount of solid gold.

The discovery of the samples by these two parties combined with the results of a subsequent investigation by local traders made a big impression on the popular imagination. The two Australians and a British- American trader named William James were soon reported in newspapers for having discovered thousands of human skeletons buried under what are considered to be the largest number of ancient monoliths ever discovered anywhere in the world.

This is one of the oldest stories of what people thought to be a mystery. Some archaeologists have speculated that the mummies were created by an invading race of giants that tried to conquer the land that the Australians settled to their south.

The Australians claimed this "monolith invasion" was probably the work of a race of "primitive" humans, although it is generally believed that they came from America and then from Asia, possibly a result of one of both races being wiped out, or possibly one of them having become malnourished, but there is no proof of any such explanation.

The two groups were sent to Sydney by Robinson- Brown to take samples of human bone for study and preservation and an important reason for the expedition was that Australia had become a rich commercial source for the mummies in the late 18th century.

Although there was a belief that the British- American trader Charles Whelan had discovered the first specimen in New South Wales when he first explored Queensland he was later to discover that an important source for the Australian specimen was found in Sydney by William James, a trader and antiquarian.

One of the reasons that Robinson- Brown had to wait so long to get to Sydney was that Robinson- Brown and the Australian expedition had started to feel an "inertia" in the area which was later to become known as Monash Moor, due to the fact that it appeared as though the mummies were never going to be moved out of there.

The mummies remained in the area for over 200 years and were eventually moved to Melbourne in 1849, and at that time it was believed that they only lasted a couple of years. As part of this expedition Robinson- Brown also discovered a number of mummies from Asia also buried in the Monash Moor.

Although this discovery was highly controversial because of the fact that Robinson- Brown was the leader of the group that discovered the samples and the fact that most Australians wanted the skeletons to be returned to Sydney because of the "Monash Moor legend", it was also because the samples were of a very good quality.

Although he said he had found "the first record of an Indian mummy", Robinson- Brown also found that the bones he had found were of a much more recent Indian source, and that both of these samples were of very good quality.

Because of their great size they were difficult to deal with, and they were often not buried in the right places. Furthermore they were also exposed to the weather from having been disturbed for so long.

Finally, they showed that a mummy would probably not come from a particular culture, but from one, or a few, families. In 1876, when Robinson- Brown returned from Australia, he found evidence that the Australian samples of human remains were in fact the oldest to have been encountered in that particular region.

The remains were described as being made of "brittle and solid, bone with bones of great thickness, of which few were found.