Forced by the topography to make a great sweep inland, Leichardt's party crossed the Flinders and a river that Leichhardt mistook for the Albert (later named the Leichhardt by Augustus Gregory). Around 12 miles south of present day Burketown they crossed the Albert River on 18th August a fine running brook which Leichhardt named Beames Brook after Walter Beames, Esquire of Sydney).
Edmund Kennedy travelled north from Rockingham Bay, almost to the tip of Cape York, where he was killed by Aborigines.
John MacGillivray studied the fauna and flora of Dunk Island while HMS Rattlesnake was anchored off the island for ten days. He wrote of its natural features in the Narrative of the Voyage of HMS Rattlesnake, published in England in 1852.
Edmund Kennedy set up a base camp near the mouth of the Pascoe River. Edmund Kennedy left eight men there. By the time they were located by the supply ship, only two remained alive, the other six having died from disease and starvation.
April
28 Kennedy and twelve men sailed from Sydney in the barque Tam O' Shanter escorted by the survey ship HMS Rattlesnake.
May
20 Kennedy expedition arrived at Rockingham Bay.
August
18 Leichardt's party crossed the Albert River south of the present day town of Burketown. Leichhardt described the stream as a fine running brook and named it Beames Brook after Walter Beames, Esquire of Sydney. He had previously mistaken the river later namd the Leichhardt (by Augustus Gregory) for the Albert.