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John Ross's party was in Hart's Range for Christmas 1870. Alfred Giles considered the scenery more than made up for the difficulties in reaching this point. He also recorded that the rough travelling was wearing down the horses' shoes, and that they had run out of horseshoe nails. It had rained several days before, soaking their blankets and clothes. Birds were seen frequently; several galahs were shot for the pot and were a pleasant change from the jerked beef of their regular diet. They saw a number of Aboriginal people including an old woman and children and Ross spoke briefly with a man. Four bronzewing pigeons were shot for their Christmas dinner.

John Ross was an experienced bushman. He was expected to find a way through the MacDonnell Ranges, which John McDouall Stuart had had some difficulty in crossing. The route would have to have good supplies of suitable trees for the construction parties to use for telegraph poles as well as good supplies of water for the men and their teams of animals. It was another of the exploration parties for the Overland Telegraph Line, led by W Whitfield Mills, that found the pass through the ranges and the water at what would later be known as Alice Springs.

Giles, Alfred, 1847?-1931

Ross, John, 1817-1903

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