Who were Burke and Wills?
Answer
Explorers on an 1860-61 expedition to cross Australia south to north
Explanation
Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led the famous Victorian Exploring Expedition of 1860 to 1861, the most ambitious Australian exploration attempt of the nineteenth century. Their south-to-north crossing of the continent ended in their deaths at Cooper Creek in central Australia in June 1861, becoming one of the country's most haunting historical stories.
Burke (1820 to 1861) was an Irish-born police inspector with no exploration experience. The Royal Society of Victoria, supported by the Victorian government, appointed him to lead the well-funded expedition that aimed to cross the continent from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia. Wills (1834 to 1861) was an English-born surveyor and astronomer who served as Burke's second-in-command and scientific officer. Their party of 19 men departed Melbourne on 20 August 1860 with 23 horses, six camels, and 21 tons of supplies including a Chinese gong, lemon-flavoured rocket candy, and a heavy oak table.
The expedition was hampered by internal disputes and poor decisions. Burke split the party at Cooper Creek in northern South Australia, taking Wills, John King, and Charles Gray on a forward push to the Gulf of Carpentaria with minimal supplies. They reached the Gulf country on 9 February 1861 (though could not see the ocean through dense mangroves). Returning, they faced extreme heat, food shortage, and the death of Gray in April 1861. Burke, Wills, and King reached Cooper Creek on 21 April 1861 to find that William Brahe and the support party had departed earlier the same day, leaving buried supplies under a coolibah tree marked DIG.
Burke, Wills, and King attempted to walk south to South Australia but were defeated by drought and starvation. Burke and Wills both died at Cooper Creek in late June 1861. John King survived with the help of local Yandruwandha Aboriginal people, who shared food and shelter, and was rescued by Alfred Howitt in September 1861. The expedition produced no major geographic discoveries (since other explorers had already mapped most of the country between Melbourne and the Gulf) but became one of the most famous Australian stories of exploration, suffering, and courage. The Burke and Wills memorial at Royal Park in Melbourne and the federal electorate of Wills mark the expedition in modern Australian memory.
Why this matters for your test
Burke and Wills is the most famous Australian exploration story, capturing the era's ambition and tragedy, and recognising both the achievement and the failure helps new citizens see the era's complexities.
Source: Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond (2024)
