Captain Collet Barker

Collet Barker arrived in Sydney in 1827 as a captain in the 39^th Regiment. At Charles Sturt’s urging he explored the lower reaches of the River Murray in 1831, searching for another Murray outlet. He was speared to death by local Aborigines after swimming across the Murray Mouth alone in 1831. It is thought that the Aborigines were angered by the previous actions of sealers in the area. Mt Barker is named for him.