[1][2][3] In mid-1817 John Oxley led an expedition of 13 men (including himself) to follow the courses of the Lachlan and Macquarie Rivers.
Parr’s roles were those of mineralogist and cartographer,[4][5] where he was responsible for production of a chart of the journey.
[2] In October 1817, Parr set out in charge[6] of a party of men including Benjamin Singleton and Aboriginal guides to find a route, suitable for wagons, to the Hunter River.
[6] When, in 1819, John Howe managed to reach the Hunter, he followed in part the route discovered by Parr and Singleton.
[8] He is shown on the list of convicts of the First Fleet as William Parr, aged 47 years on embarkation.