Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Warburton, Peter Egerton
WARBURTON, PETER EGERTON (1813–1889), Australian explorer, fourth son of the Rev. Rowland Egerton Warburton of Arley Hall, Northwich, Cheshire, and younger brother of Rowland Eyles Egerton-Warburton [q. v.], was born at Arley Hall on 15 Aug. 1813, and, after being educated at Orleans and Paris, entered the navy in 1825. Having served over three years, he decided to go into the army, and entered at Addiscombe in 1829; he became an ensign in the Bombay army on 9 June 1831, and, after service in India, was promoted to be lieutenant on 18 July 1837, and captain on 24 Jan. 1845. He served as deputy adjutant-general for some time, and in 1853 retired with the brevet rank of major, with a view to settling in New Zealand as a colonist. Ultimately he chose South Australia instead, arriving in Adelaide in September of that year. Almost at once Warburton was appointed commissioner of police for South Australia. This office led him into all parts of the colony, and he utilised his opportunities of casual exploration in little-known districts. In 1867 he resigned his post, and in 1869 became commandant of the volunteer forces.
In 1872 Warburton was selected by the government of South Australia to command a projected exploring expedition intended to open up an overland communication between that colony and Western Australia. When the project was abandoned by the government and taken up by two public-spirited colonists, Thomas Elder and Walter Hughes, Warburton was placed by them in command. He left Adelaide on 21 Sept. 1872, and Beltana station on the 26th, travelling first northward. The special feature of this expedition was the extensive use made of the camel. Having arrived at Alice Springs on 21 Dec. 1872, he found the country suffering from drought, and decided to wait there for the rains; but he was disappointed. Starting westward for the serious work of his expedition on 15 April 1873, he was in trouble for want of water on the 20th, and from that time he was never for long free from anxiety. Striking out for the rivers Hugh and Finke in the direction of their supposed courses, he found that they were wrongly mapped. He reached Central Mount Wedge on 8 May, and soon afterwards Table Mountain. From 2 to 9 June he was going back on his tracks, and about this time lost four camels. He was now in a regular desert. About 20 Aug. he had reached Gregory's farthest point. In September the troubles due to lack of water and loss of camels were becoming very serious; the party was literally hunting the natives to discover their wells. In October things got worse; they made a long halt at some native wells so as to recoup and make reconnaissances, but in vain. For three weeks they subsisted on a single camel; ants were a perfect plague. On 12 Nov. Warburton was worn out by starvation, and thought he had only a few hours to live; he had lost the sight of one eye. A fortunate find by one of their boys relieved them; but after this Warburton had two narrow escapes—once from the explosion of his pistol, another time from a snake. On 11 Dec. they struck the Oakover river in Western Australia, and on 30 Dec. they were relieved by settlers from Raeburn, which they reached on 26 Jan. 1874. They were enthusiastically received at Perth and Albany. On their return to Adelaide they were entertained at a public banquet. The legislative assembly voted him 1,000l., and the Royal Geographical Society awarded him their gold medal for 1874.
In November 1875 Warburton came to England for a brief holiday, but the colder climate did not agree with him, and he quickly returned. In the same year he was created C.M.G., and there was published his ‘Journey across the Western Interior of Australia … with Introduction and Additions by C. M. Eden … Edited by H. W. Bates’ (London, 8vo).
In 1877 Warburton retired from the post of colonel commandant of volunteers, and took charge of the imperial pensions establishment, living in comparative retirement at Adelaide, where he died on 16 Dec. 1889.
He married, in October 1838, Alicia, daughter of Henry Mant of Bath. One of his sons was his second in command in his journey of exploration.
[Warburton's Journey across the Western Interior of Australia, London, 1875, especially pp. 133–4; Heaton's Australian Dict. of Dates; Mennell's Dict. of Australasian Biography; Burke's Landed Gentry; information from India Office.]