The end result of the exploration of Charles Sturt had long-term significance for Australia. He charted the Murray River to its mouth at the Southern Ocean, and the ramifications of this were considerable.
Sturt first traced the Macquarie River as far as the Darling, which he named after Governor Darling. He then followed the Murrumbidgee River, discovering that the Murrumbidgee River flowed into the Murray (previously named the Hume), as did the Darling. By following the Murray in a collapsible whaleboat, Sturt found that it flowed to the southern ocean, emptying out at Lake Alexandrina on the south coast. A major result of his exploration was in opening up the inland waterways of New South Wales for transportation via paddlesteamers, opening new areas for settlement and contributing to the colony's growth. He solved the mystery of the westward flowing rivers, one which had puzzled the colonists, as they expected rivers to flow towards the sea, not away from it. The expedition was valuable for opening up Australia's inland waterways to the transportation of people and goods.
Sturt led further expeditions into Australia's interior to determine conclusively whether there was an inland sea, but found only the desert and harsh conditions, completely unsuitable for settlement - but in doing so, answered the age-old question of what lay in Australia's interior.
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