William Christie Gosse was the leader of a South Australian government expedition exploring central Australia in 1873 to search for a viable route between the Overland Telegraph Line and Perth in Western Australia. From Mount Olga (Kata Tjuta) he had seen a high hill, and set out with the cameleer Khamran to investigate it. His diary of 18 and 19 July describes his approach to this hill. They passed an Aboriginal camp which had been recently occupied and a small waterhole from which he was able to water his camels. The country was stony but grassed and lightly timbered. He saw a large flat topped hill which he named Mount Conner. He then reached spinifex covered sandhills. Finally on 19 July he approached the hill he had been seeking, and found it to have a most peculiar appearance, the upper portion covered with small holes. Most astonishing of all was to discover that the hill was one immense rock. He described the country as only being good for two miles around the rock. He named the hill Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers. The following day he and Khamran succeeded in climbing the Rock to assess the view ahead. He could see part of Lake Amadeus and numbers of ranges across the horizon from south east throughto the west.

Gosse, William Christie, 1842-1881

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing. Taking it to the edge August 2004-