Sydney Upton - Visionary Explorer

Sydney Upton was the first of the ‘Upton OverOz’ explorers. Sydney was born in Staffordshire, England in 1884 and first arrived in Australia in 1929. A pioneering engineer with a distinguished career in developing rail, water and sewage infrastructure as well as Plantations across the globe from Khartoum, Sudan and The Nile to Siam, Dutch East Indies and Malaya.

On arrival in Australia he embraced the open spaces, putting his engineering mind to work. Publishing a number of visionary articles about developing Australia. Including one that proposed diverting the Snowy River to the western side of Kosciusko and others proposing expeditions to Lake Eyre and Lake Torrens. He studied the lakes and river systems taking a keen interest in the Murray River even naming his second son after the mighty river. Murray inherited the adventurous spirit and also became an intrepid OverOz explorer.

Sydney outlined through a series of four articles in ‘The Mail’ a scheme for harnessing millions of tons of waste fresh water which he contends could be used to make the desert of Central Australia ‘blossom like the rose.’ It included a ‘High Water Ship-Canal’ from the head of Spencers Gulf to Lake Torrens. “millions upon millions of tons more water have come from the tropical north, only to be lost for ever either in brine or in evaporation at and around Lake Eyre.” A scheme which no doubt gave inspiration to Bradfield. Like Bradfield and many more to follow, Sydney became frustrated by the bureaucracy failing to get Government support.

Sydney returned to the UK assisting the WW11 war effort predominately constructing airfields, but continued his work on developing Australia publishing “Australia’s Empty Spaces” in 1938. The book is a physiographical survey of Australia in which he dispels the notion of the limitless possibilities of development and expansion of Inland Australia. He describes the climate of the Northern Territory as distressful and harmful to humanity.

Sydney and his wife Alexandra Upton returned to Australia in 1947 where he became further involved in infrastructure being pivotal in the building of a road from Tamborine to the Gold Coast. Sydney was made an Honorary Life Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in 1963. Throughout his life he continued his studies of Philosophy and Religion.

Other Publications include.

"The New Way of Life". "The Unknown God" "Man and the Universe (all that is): a new conception", “The Australian Climate”

We now have 4 generations of ‘Upton Explorers’.