Barclay left Alice Springs, of which station he first fixed the exact geographical position by a series of telegraphic exchanges with the observatory in Adelaide.

Barclay had much dry country to contend against, but managed to reach a north point close to Scarr's furthest south.

He did not, however, on that occasion, actually arrive at the Queensland border, but explored the territory on the South Australian side.

During the conduct of the survey he discovered and named the Jervois Ranges, the spurs of the eastern MacDonnell, and the following tributaries of Lake Eyre -- the Hale, the Plenty, the Marshall, and the Arthur Rivers.
In 1883, Favenc, on a private expedition to report on pastoral country, traced the heads of several of the rivers of the Carpentarian Gulf, and in the following year left the north Newcastle Waters to examine and trace the Macarthur River.

The river was followed from its source to the sea, and a large extent of valuable pastoral country and several permanent springs found in its valley; a large tributary, the Kilgour, was also discovered and named.