Members of the Horn Expedition, Alice Springs, Central Australia, 1894

The Horn Expedition was a joint project of the three existing Australian universities to investigate in detail the MacDonnell Ranges and surrounding area of Central Australia. The Universities of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney supplied scientific personnel to cover a broad spectrum of academic interests. Named after the organiser, W.A. Horn of Adelaide, the expedition was led by Professor Ralph Tate, the senior member, in conjunction with Dr J.A. Watt, botanist and geologist for the party. Professor E.C. Stirling was the ethnologist in charge of anthropological work and W.Baldwin Spencer, Professor of Zoology at the University of Melbourne, was the expedition's zoologist and photographer. The expedition was guided by C. Winnecke, a well-known explorer of Central Australia, whose task it was to lead the party along a route chosen by the scientific members.In May 1894 the expedition set out from Oodnadatta, at that time the end of the railway line, on the backs of twenty-five camels. It now consisted of the original party, two Afghan camel drivers, two Aboriginal trackers, two general assistants and a cook. The Horn Expedition lasted only three months, but its findings in all fields of study were widely acclaimed and greatly increased knowledge about Central Australia. For Spencer it was the beginning of a life-long interest in, and study of, the Aboriginal people of Central and North Australia. He set out on the Horn Expedition as a zoologist and photographer, but was transformed by the experience into a burgeoning anthropologist. In this photograph, showing members of the Horn Expedition assembled at Alice Springs, Spencer in standing fourth from the right. Also in the photograph are Francis W Belt, C Laycock, Edward Stirling, Ralph Tate, J Alexander Watt, Walter Baldwin Spencer, Charles Winnecke (principal author of the Journal of the Horn Scientific Exploring Expedition 1894 (published 1897), G A Keartland, Harry (tracker of the Native Mounted Police), Afghan camel drivers (Moosha and Guzzie Balooch), a prospector, and another camel man.