Paul Edmund de Strzelecki
Persons, originating from Poland

Paul Edmund de Strzelecki

Born as Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, July 20, 1797
in Głuszyna near Poznań (today part of Poznań)
Died October 6, 1873 in London
He was a Polish nobleman, explorer and geologist.
At the age of 32 he left Poland, to see the world. His explorations and voyages gained him great popularity abroad. He visited Africa, North and South America, Cuba, Tahiti and New Zealand.

Discoveries
Between 1838 and 1840 he travelled trough Australia, where he explored several regions and climbed the highest peak in Australia, which he named Mount Kosciuszko. He was the first person to discover gold in Australia. In Australia, a mountain range, 2 peaks, a lake, a highway, a watercourse, a desert and a town have been named after him:
Strzelecki Ranges in Victoria                               Mount Strzelecki (636 m) in the Northern Territory
Strzelecki Peak (756 m) on Flinders Island         Strzelecki Creek 190 km in South Australia
Strzelecki Highway in Victoria                             Strzelecki Desert east of Lake Eyre in South Australia
Strzelecki Village.
More information in English

Polonica stamps:

Australia 1983, 26 IX
 Guyana 2002, 01 VII