Thomas Mitchell
Explorer
Surveyor of Southeast Australia who mapped out a large portion of the continent despite the use of rudimentary equipment.
After his father's death, he joined the army and served in the Napoleonic Wars.
A lot of his measurements were improvised: for example, distances were measured by using trees as trigonometric points.
He grew up in a poor family, but still managed to get a solid education.
Charles Gwynn was another early explorer of Australia.