William Darton Kekwick

William Darton Kekwick (3 December 1822 - 16 October 1872) was an explorer in Australia who served as second-in-command to John McDouall Stuart on four of his expeditions trying to reach Darwin from Adelaide; this included the sixth expedition in which they successfully crossed.

Early life Kekwick was born in East Ham, in Essex, a county of England where he was part of a Quaker family. He went to school at a Quaker school, Ackworth, and in 1840, after completing his education, he immigrated to South Australia with his family, excluding his mother who had died, in 1840. They sailed on Warrior and arrived in April 1840.

After arriving Kekwick first sought to establish a business at Burra but, struggling to find success, decided to travel to the goldfields of Victoria during the gold rush there starting from the early 1850s. He worked alongside his brother Daniel and it was he who introduced him to the pastoralist James Chalmers who, in turn, introduced him to John McDouall Stuart. On Stuart's forth expedition, Kekwick's second, his influence began to be seen in the numbers of places bearing members of his families names, including Mount Daniel for his brother (Daniel Kekwick) and Mount Beddome for his brother-in-law (Samuel Beddome).

Kekwick was second-in command of the 10 person party when they ultimately crossed Australia and reached Van Diemen Gulf, which is east of what is today considered Darwin on 24 July 1862.

Stuart would later write of him:

Later life

After returning to Adelaide in 1863 with the party Kekwick spent some years in Port MacDonnell where, on 23 March 1864, he married Marian Caroline Owen and they would go on to have four children together. In 1871 he returned to Adelaide and sought work building the Overland Telegraph Line but, unsuccessful, he became a miner at Echunga.

He died 16 October 1873 at Blinman and a grave was erected for him by the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia. Kekwick Place in Jabiru. Kekwick Ponds in the Barkly Region and it was named by Stuart in recognition of 'the zeal and activity he has displayed during the expedition.'