'Sturt, Leichardt, Eyre, Strezelecki - Australians know these names which are deeply etched into the country's landscape and national story. They live in our place names, in plant names, in our history texts. Less well-known is the name of Johann or John Lhotsky, a maverick from central Europe engaged in much the same nineteenth century enterprise of exploring and collecting. Yet although he published political pamphlets, scientific papers, correspondence, an account of his Journey from Sydney to the Australian Alps, and much else, Lhotsky remains an elusive and little-known figure.
'Writer Noelle Janaczewska first heard of Johann Lhotsky when she came across a brief reference to him in a second hand book. This was the beginning of a longstanding fascination with this intriguing character; one which would see her travel the globe in search of traces of Lhotsky, and into some of the great archives and libraries of the world.
'The other Polish explorer explores the beguiling story of botanist, geologist, social commentator, radical and talented linguist Johann Lhotsky.'
Source: ABC.
First broadcast on Tuesday 10 March 2015.
