Charles Winnecke

Charles George Alexander Winnecke (18 November 1857 – 10 September 1902)

Winnecke travelled through northern South Australia in September 1884. A decade later, he led the Horn Expedition to Central Australia from May to August 1894, a scientific exploration of the region's geology, zoology, botany and Indigenous people. They followed the Finke River as far as the James Range towards the now Tempe Downs Station and Kings Creek Station.

During this expedition, Winnecke was responsible for the theft of a major repository of Aboriginal sacred objects in Central Australia, helped by an Aboriginal guide who was later killed by local elders for his crime in leading Winnecke to their hiding place. The objects were subsequently interpreted with the assistance of another guide, the sometime police tracker and Aboriginal resistance identity Arrarbi. When removing the objects he left 'a number of tomahawks, large knives and other things in their place, sufficient commercially to make the transaction an equitable exchange'.

Winnecke was made a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society. He died on 10 September 1902 in Adelaide.

Legacy Winnecke Avenue in Alice Springs is named after him.

A species of Australian lizard, Diporiphora winneckei, is named in his honour, as is the shrub Triumfetta winneckeana.

Publications Physical features of Central Australia, 1887, Adelaide Journal of the Horn Scientific Exploring Expedition, 1894 Australia, 1897, Adelaide