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Charles Swinden along with Murdoch Campbell and D Thompson explored west of Lake Torrens and found good pastoral lands. The men were lightly equipped with riding horses and several pack horses which gave them speed and ease of movement but did limit the length of time they could remain out exploring. They left on 31 March 1857 from Saltia station, crossed beyond the top of Spencer Gulf and after an initial encounter with the salt water of Beda Creek and several other billabongs reached Pernatty Creek, about 75 miles north-west of Port Augusta. Pernatty contained excellent water and Swinden gave it the Aboriginal name. From Pernatty they found Yarraberry waterhole, the Yallatta waterhole on Elizabeth Creek and Perrialta waterhole among others. Swinden considered the land similar to that at Bundaleer and Booboorowie Stations, salt bush country but with good grass and other herbage between. He also considered the waterholes they found to be superior to those on the Light, Wakefield and Broughton Rivers. The expedition returned 9 August, but Swinden was confident that they had found good pastoral lands, which with the sinking of several wells could be easily reached from the east.

For a number of years this region was named on maps of South Australia as 'Swinden's country'. The newspaper editor concurred with Swinden's analysis of the country and urged the wells to be sunk so that the lands found could be used for pastoralism. He believed that at last the hypothesis of the interior as an unmitigated and dreadful desert had been disproven.

Swinden, Charles

Thompson, D.

Campbell, Murdoch

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