▁Table land ▁in ▁the ▁Northern ▁Territ ory ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁station ▁manager . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁Mc Ar thur ▁River ▁Station . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁Read ford ▁set ▁off ▁from ▁Brun ette ▁Down s ▁to ▁explore ▁Central ▁Australia , ▁but ▁( in ▁what ▁one ▁author ▁would ▁later ▁describe ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁iron ies ▁of ▁the ▁out back " ▁), ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁had ▁gu ided ▁so ▁many ▁travel ers ▁to ▁safety ▁d rown ed ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁March ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁while ▁trying ▁to ▁sw im ▁across ▁Cor ella ▁Creek , ▁which ▁had ▁flo oded ▁due ▁to ▁heavy ▁rain . ▁ ▁An ▁insp iration ▁for ▁Captain ▁Star light ▁Read ford ▁became ▁something ▁of ▁a ▁national ▁hero , ▁and ▁the ▁character ▁Captain ▁Star light ▁in ▁R olf ▁B old re wood ' s ▁book ▁Rob ber y ▁Under ▁Ar ms ▁was ▁based ▁in ▁part ▁on ▁his ▁explo its . ▁ ▁Read ford ▁was ▁never ▁himself ▁known ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Captain ▁Star light , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁pseud onym ▁of ▁the ▁bus hr anger ▁Frank ▁Pear son . ▁Pear son ▁had ▁adopted ▁the ▁name ▁Captain ▁ ▁Star light ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁twenty ▁one ▁years ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁but ▁B old re wood ▁himself ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁Captain ▁Star light ▁character ▁in ▁his ▁novel ▁was ▁a ▁composite ▁of ▁several ▁bus