This Day in History: 1869-04-17

1869 April 17-19: John Forrest was given the job of searching for explorer Ludwig Leichhardt’s remains. He set out from Perth and stayed in Newcastle for several days, where he had his horses shod, and enlisted the Toodyay Convict Hiring Depot blacksmith David Morgan to accompany him.

Sources:
Perth gazette, 10 Sept. 1869, p.3.
Rica Erickson. Old Toodyay and Newcastle. Toodyay Shire Council, 1974, pp. 237-238.
Frank Crowley. Big John Forrest. UWA Press, 2000, pp. 8-10 (photo).