Stuart’s party on his first trip was but a very small one:  three men in all, with but thirteen horses.  It reads lilliputian compared with the princely cavalcade that later on set out with Burke to travel over comparatively well-known country, involving only a short excursion through a land without natural difficulties or obstacles; and yet it actually achieved the greatest part of the task set it.

Stuart started from Chambers Creek, but for part of the journey he was of course travelling over country that was fairly well-known by that time.  After passing the Neale, he entered untrodden country, which proved to be good available pastoral land.  Numerous well-watered creeks were passed, which were named respectively the Frew, the Finke, and the Stevenson, and on the 6th of April they reached a hill of a remarkable shape, which had for some time attracted and excited their attention and curiosity.  They found it to be a column of sandstone, on the apex of a hill.  The hill was but a low one of a few hundred feet in height, but the sandstone column that surmounted it was one hundred and fifty feet in height and twenty feet in width.  This striking object was named by Stuart Chambers Pillar, to commemorate a friend who had assisted him greatly in his explorations.  It stood amongst other elevations of fantastic shapes and grotesque formations, resembling ruined forts and castles.  On the 9th of April they sighted two remarkable bluffs, and on the 12th reached the range of which the bluffs formed the centre.  The eastern bluff was called Brinkley Bluff and the western Hanson Bluff; the range, which is now well-known as a leading geographical feature of Australia, and on which the most elevated peaks in the interior have since been found, Stuart named the MacDonnell Range, after the then Governor of South Australia.  The little band crossed the range, which was rough but had good grass on its slopes.  There was, however, a scarcity of water; for they were now approaching the tropical line, and on reaching the northern slope of the range found themselves amongst spinifex and scrub, and obliged to undergo two nights without water for the horses.  At a high peak, which was named Mount Freeling, they found a small supply; and as it was now evident that there was dry country ahead, a more careful search was made before pushing any further forward, in order to ensure certain means of retreat.  Fortunately they found, amongst some ledges of rock, a large natural reservoir, which promised to be permanent, and capable of supplying their wants on their homeward way.

On the 22nd of April, Stuart camped in the centre of Australia, on the spot which his former leader, Sturt, had vainly undergone so much suffering to reach; and his feeling of elation must have been tempered with regret that his old leader was not then with him to share this success.  About two miles and a half to the North-North-East there was a tolerably high hill which he called in reality Central Mount Sturt.  It is now, however, erroneously called Stuart, owing to the publishers of his diary having misread his manuscript.