About a hundred years since the European settlement of Australia, as the coastlines flourished with cities and growing populations,

the vast interior remained largely unexplored and mysterious.

In fact, by then, it had even earned the nickname, the Gassley Blank.

Finally, in 1860, an expedition set out to make the first south-north crossing of the Australian continent,

but unfortunately, they would find out why so much of the hostile interior remains sparsely populated even today.

This is their story, and as always, viewer discretion is advised.

It might be difficult to imagine, but only 160 years ago, much of the continent of Australia

was still uncharted and unexplored.

It was still a British colony in the 19th century, and it was growing by leaps and bounds

on the coasts, especially in the south.

The state of Victoria in particular was booming during Australia's

gold rush of the 1850s as settlers from all over the world showed up in hopes of striking

it rich. The vast lands between the coast, however, was such a mystery that it earned the nickname,

the ghastly blank. And it wasn't until 1857 that the idea of an expedition to explore

was finally offered up. At just

seven years old at the time, the state of Victoria saw in it the opportunity to

further its status as Australia's wealthiest and most ambitious settlement. So next, in

partnership with the Royal Society Victoria, which is the state scientific community,

the government formed a 32-person exploration committee to

determine if an expedition would be a worthwhile venture. It would end up taking three years

to analyze it from every angle, but in 1860, the Victorian exploring expedition was formed

with the goal of uncovering the secrets of inland Australia. At the time, parts outside of

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