The Chief Secretary, and members of a 1938 expedition that travelled to the Simpson Desert to investigate skeletons, thought by some to be the remain's of Ludwig Leichhardt and his expedition party. Left to right: Sir George Ritchie (Chief Secretary), Dr. Grenfell Price, CP Mountford, AD Smith and Edwin Lowe.

In 1938 Charles Mountford was asked to join an expedition to examine relics found in the northeast of the state near Mount Dare Station. The relics were found by station owner Edwin Lowe, who believed them to be the remains of a party of Europeans.

The finding was reported in the press on 3 August 1938, and soon after speculation emerged that it may have been the remains of the party of nineteenth century explorer Ludwig Leichhardt.

Under the auspices of the State Government an expedition party was quickly put together and departed to conduct a thorough survey of the site. The party was led by Archibald Grenfell Price, the president of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia. Other members were AD Smith (surveyor), TD Campbell (anthropologist), CP Mountford (ethnologist) and AC Kinnear (press correspondent).