Francis Thomas Gregory

Born in Farnsfield, Nottinghamshire, on October 19, 1821, he moved to Western Australia with his family in 1829. As a young surveyor, he joined and later led expeditions through little-known parts of the colony, building a reputation for careful observation and tough, practical leadership.

Gregory is best remembered for major journeys in Western Australia during the 1840s and 1850s, including exploration around the Murchison, Gascoyne, and Ashburton regions. In 1855 and 1856 he led an important North Australian expedition, and his favorable reports on parts of the north-west encouraged pastoral settlement. Several Australian landmarks, including the Gregory River, were named in his honor.

Later, he moved into public life, serving in Western Australian and then Queensland politics. He died in Toowoomba, Queensland, on October 23, 1888. Today he is remembered as one of the key explorer-surveyors of nineteenth-century Australia.