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African Explorer and Anthropologist Julian Monroe Fisher, in conjunction with The Uganda Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Antiquities, The Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation & Tourism for South Sudan, the descendants of the Victorian explorer Sir Samuel White Baker, RailRiders Adventure Clothing and Costa Del Mar Sunglasses has announced plans to establish The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail.

The trail will stretch from Gondokoro, the location of the modern day capital of the new nation of South Sudan to Baker’s View overlooking Lake Albert in western Uganda. Fisher will be in Uganda in June 2013 to start placing historical markers at locations where Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker camped while on expedition in the Central African region during their two expeditions in the 1860’s and 1870’s.

In January-February 2013, during Phase Two of The RailRider’s 2012-16 Great African Expedition, Fisher and his team that included David Baker, the great-great-grandson of Sir Samuel Baker were accredited with correcting maps of Uganda by establishing the true location of Baker’s View, the location where Sir Samuel Baker became the first European to see Lake Albert and to subsequently name the lake for Prince Albert. The concept for ‘The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail’ evolved out of Fisher’s two year research of Sir Samuel Baker in preparation for Phase One & Two of ‘The RailRider’s 2012-16 Great African Expedition’.

Quoting David Baker from Chirton, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, "Sir Samuel Baker and Lady Florence Baker's achievements are to be commemorated by the establishment of a trail through South Sudan and northern Uganda to Baker's view of Lake Albert. The trail follows the shoreline of Lake Albert northwards to the Victoria Nile and the mighty Murchison Falls and up the river to the Karuma Falls. This is the bold vision of Julian Monroe Fisher who, in early 2013, travelled along the trail in the footsteps of Sir Samuel Baker. It will take energy, determination and resources to achieve this; our example is Sir Samuel Baker, so we are sure it will come about!"

Quoting Fisher, “The Bakers are respected in South Sudan and Uganda for their 1860’s and 1870’s expeditions and their effort to abolish the slave trade. Today South Sudan and parts of northern Uganda are emerging from years of conflict. In South Sudan the population is struggling to clean up the landmines of the conflicts of the past in order to move forward to a bright future. The future of the region lies in the success of projects like ‘The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail’.

With the support of Honorable Minister Maria Mutagamba, Executive Director Dr. Andrew Ggunga Seguya the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Baker Family, RailRiders Adventure Clothing and Costa Del Mar Sunglasses, the Uganda portion of ‘The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail’ will be launched in January 2014 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Baker’s expedition. This will be a visual sign of the region, expressing to the world that northern Uganda and South Sudan are “open for business”.

During the announcement of the project in Vienna, Austria, Fisher said, “The beauty of the people as well as the landscape should be reasons enough to visit the region sooner than later. ‘The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail’ provides the adventure traveler a route through a spectacular scenery and to historical places, that can be accessed by 4 x 4’s, mountain bike and also by hiking and will some day be recognized similar to the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Trail in the USA.

As Sir Samuel and Lady Florence tried to convey through their journeys, EXPLORATION ABOLISHES SLAVERY in the 19th century, today in the 21st century, we need to all stop global slavery, one step at a time!!”

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
contact@julianmonroefisher.com

 
In January 2014, explorer and Anthropologist, Julian Monroe Fisher FRGS FI00, a Fellow with The Royal Geographical Society (with IGB) and an International Fellow with The Explorers Club, will begin placing trail markers along The Sir Samuel and Lady Baker Historical Trail in preparation for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Bakers 1860-70’s expeditions to the African region.
     
 
A marker will be placed atop Murchison Falls in northern Uganda where Baker named the falls for Sir Roderick Murchison, the President of The Royal Geographical Society (1843-1845, 1851–1853, 1856–1859 and 1862-1871).
  One of the markers will be placed in Fort Patiko near the town of Gulu in northern Uganda.
     
 

The markers which are placed at 15 locations in South Sudan and Uganda will provide the visitor information about the explorations and the lifes of Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker.

Quotes from Baker's diaries which relate to each location as well as obersavions about the place are giving the reader a true sense of the historical significance of the journey of Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker and their observations and discoveries.

 

David Baker and Julian Monroe Fisher during the planning of the Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail in Uganda in January of 2013.

The text on the signs were provided by David Baker, the great-great-grand son of Sir Samuel Baker, who also donated the signs.

     
 
Sir Samuel White Baker (8 June 1821 – 30 December 1893)
 
Historical map showing the route of Sir Samuel and
Lady Florence Baker through South Sudan and Uganda
     
The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail is made possible through the support of the following partners:
 
     
   
 
 

Disclaimer
Common sense is required when traveling along The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail.
All material in this site is provided for information purposes only.
We strongly urge researching and adhering to all travel warnings for the region and monitoring all news.
You travel at your own risk.

 

For further information contact:
Julian Monroe Fisher FRGS FI'00
contact(@)JulianMonroeFisher.com

 

copyright Julian Monroe Fisher 2013-2016