It is perhaps by his fame as leader of the party that crossed from Lake George to the Southern Ocean that Hume’s name is best remembered.  At that time especially it aroused anew the bright hopes for the future of the interior that Oxley’s gloomy prognostications had done so much to depress.  The Surveyor-General having been unable to determine the question as to whether any large river entered the sea between Cape Otway and Spencer’s Gulf, a somewhat hazardous idea entered the head of the then Governor, Sir Thomas Brisbane, to land a party of convicts near Wilson’s Promontory, and induce them by the offer of a free pardon and a grant of land to find their way back to Sydney overland.  It was further proposed that an experienced bushman should be put in charge of them.  The flattering offer of this responsible, if somewhat precarious position, was made to young Hamilton Hume who, on mature consideration declined it.

He offered, however, to conduct a party from Lake George to Western Port if the Government would provide the necessary assistance.  This offer the authorities accepted, but they forgot the essential condition of furnishing assistance.  Naturally, much delay and vexation were caused by this display of official ineptitude.  At this juncture a retired coasting skipper, Captain William Hilton Hovell, made an offer to join the party, and find half the necessary cattle and horses.  This offer aroused the Government to some sense of its responsibility, and it agreed to do something in the matter.  This “something” amounted to six pack-saddles and gear, one tent of Parramatta cloth, two tarpaulins, a suit of slop clothes a-piece for the men, and an order to Hume to select 1,200 acres of land for himself.  In addition, the Government generously granted the explorers two skeleton charts upon which to trace the route of their journey, some bush utensils, and promised a cash payment for the hire of the cattle should an important discovery be made.  This cash payment was refused on their return, although one would have thought that the discovery of the Hume (Murray) should surely take rank as an important discovery.  Hume also stated that he had much difficulty in obtaining tickets-of-leave for the men, and the confirmation of his own order to select land for himself.

Each of the leaders brought with him three men, so that the strength of the party was eight all told.  Their outfit of animals consisted of five bullocks and three horses, and they had two carts with them.

Hovell was born at Yarmouth on the 26th of April, 1786.  He arrived in Sydney in 1813, but after being engaged in the coasting trade with occasional trips to New Zealand, he had relinquished his career as a sailor and had settled at Narellan, New South Wales.  After his exploring expedition with Hume, he settled down at Goulburn, and he died at Sydney in 1876.