Henry Stuart Russell

Henry Stuart Russell (16 March 1818 – 5 March 1889) was an English-born explorer, politician, historian and pastoralist, best known for establishing the Cecil Plains Station around the Condamine River area of Australia. Early life Russell was born in Halliford, Middlesex, England, the son of an East India Company officer. He was educated at Harrow and Christ Church, Oxford. He migrated to Sydney, Australia in 1840, where he stayed at a New England station belonging to Arthur Hodgson, his second cousin. Career In May 1842, Russell joined an exploration party in search of sheep country in Wide Bay. The party were the first Europeans to discover the river later named the Mary River. They also found and brought back two escaped convicts from the penal settlement. Russell made a subsequent journey in November 1842, where he was the first European to discover the river he named the Boyne River. This expedition resulted in Russell taking up Burrandowan station.