LECTURE - Burke & Wills Across Australia

The 1860 Burke & Wills Expedition was the first Europeans to attempt to cross Australia from the North (Melbourne) to the South, a very large country with very poor maps at the time. These 2 men had incredible spirit, and were the Lewis & Clarke of Australia with a goal of learning all about the natives during their adventure from one end to the other of this large country. The coast was known but not the inside of Australia (commonly known as The Outback). It is challenging land with infertile soil and little water. Because of this, about 85% of Australians live within 30 miles of the coast. The 1850’s gold rush and the success of the telegraph helped bring people to Australia and offered promise for being a “connected” country (and a continent) to Europe. They were not prepared, without indigenous guides, adequate supplies or even planning the correct time of year (left in the winter). They left with 19 men, 23 horses, and 26 camels.

The made their first stop after 57 days, a few turned back and the group split up with Birke & Willis and 8 men going ahead along with some supplies. The rest manned one of the stopover sites. When they got to Cooper Creek, 4 of them went with the others creating a depot to come back to with supplies (they were told to wait 4 months before giving up). With so few men, they left behind a lot of scientific instruments … so they often didn’t know where they were going. Ironically they got within 12 miles of the Gulf of Carpentaria but sadly didn’t know it, when they decided to turn back. So close yet so far.

Now they needed to get back to the Cooper Creek depot within the 4 month timeframe and before their food runs out and the monsoons come. With only 3 men left at this point, they get to Cooper Creek but no one is there. They had left that morning! They found markings on a tree indicating DIG, that food was buried for them which they found. They attempt to get back with Burke, Wills and King followed the Cooper downstream heading towards South Australia. Burke dies and with few supplies Wills decides to return to return to the Dig Tree to bury his notebooks in for safe-keeping before he dies too. John King, the only survivor was found and the notebooks were recovered, providing an entire account of the trip.

As National heros, a state funeral was held for Burke & Wills back in Melbourne. Their journey served as providing maps for the first telegraph and other scientific info, helping to connect to Indonesia and the rest of the world, proving the success of using single hump camels to the land. It also proved that even failures are important for paving roads to make the impossible possible. Altogether, 7 men died, and only one man, John King, crossed the continent with the expedition and returned alive to Melbourne. The "Dig Tree" at Cooper Creek, still commemorates their journey! Four movies and a stage show were made to tell their story.Read more