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In the 1850s the Gold Rush in the newly-formed colony of Victoria turned Melbourne into one of the richest cities in the world. It was the height of the Victorian Era, a time full of confidence and of an explosion of interest in science and discovery. In this decade Melbourne acquired a host of public buildings, a University, a Public Library, a Museum, a Herbarium, gas lighting in the streets and its first telegraph and railway lines. In 1854 the Philosophical Institute was founded, later to become the Royal Society of Victoria.
Settlement had extended throughout Victoria, and the new colony was hungry for new land and a place in the race to explore the outback. In 1857 the Philosophical Institute appointed an Exploration Committee. In August 1858 Ambrose Kyte’s anonymous offer of £1000 toward exploration was announced in the Melbourne Argus, an Exploration Fund Raising Committee was established and a decision made to import camels into Australia. By the end of 1859, the Philosophical Institute had received a Royal Charter and become the Royal Society of Victoria, and had moved into its newly built premises in La Trobe Street. 1859 was also the year of publication of Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species.
In January 1860 the Exploration Committee produced its fourth quarterly progress report and a special report. Over £3000 had been raised and the time had come for action: the Committee was determined that the Victorian Exploring Expedition would be the first to cross the continent from South to North. Fund-raising and organisation of the Expedition began in earnest and events unfolded as described in more detail below. If you prefer pictures to words, try the graphical timeline of all the events from fundraising to the funeral.
Thanks to Dave Phoenix, President, Burke and Wills Historical Society, for providing the historical data. For more information see the links on the "Explore other sites" page. |
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To Cooper Creek: Aug-Dec 1860 |
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Between mid-August 1860 and mid-December 1860, the Victorian Exploring Expedition travelled from Melbourne to Cooper Creek. Burke made many personnel changes on the way, and many of the members remained at a depot camp at Menindee, while Burke and Wills went ahead with a more lightly-loaded group to Cooper Creek. See month by month timeline of events
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To the Gulf and back: Jan-Jun 1861 |
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Starting on 16 December 1860, Burke, Wills, Gray and King headed north toward the Gulf, following the creeks that make up the Diamantina river system. Early in 1861 they crossed the Tropic of Capricorn near Boulia. By 9 February they knew they were close to the Gulf. Burke and Wills went on alone but although on 11 February they could taste salt water in the creeks, they could not negotiate the mangroves and tidal flats and returned to camp 119 without having a sight of the sea. The four men then retraced their route, now travelling in the wet season and becoming progressively weaker as their supplies diminished and some of their pack animals died. On 3 April, Wills was forced to leave his navigational instruments buried at the Plant Camp. Gray died on 17 April, Burke insisted on burying him, which took a day. Four days later, in the evening of 21 April, Burke, Wills and King reached the depot at Cooper Creek, only to discover that Brahe and the Depot Party had left that morning, after waiting more than four months for Burke's return.
After retrieving the supplies left at the Dig Tree by Brahe, the three men made an attempt to reach Mt Hopeless. The last of the camels died as they travel south, and without pack animals, they could not carry the water they needed to cross the Strzelecki desert. They returned to the Cooper. Although they had been introduced to ngardu as a food source by the aborigines, they no longer had the strength to grind the seeds properly and by the end of June or early July, both Burke and Wills were dead. See month by month timeline of events
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Aftermath: Jul 1861 - Jan 1863 |
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The news of Burke and Wills' failure to return reached Melbourne at the end of June 1861 and the Royal Society of Victoria immediately began organising search operations. In early July a party led by Alfred Howitt left Melbourne, reaching Menindee by the end of the month. During August and September other relief expeditions left on foot from Adelaide (McKinley) and Rockhampton (Walker) and from Melbourne and Brisbane by ship.
In early July King was alone at Cooper Creek. After witnessing Burke's death he went back to where they had left Wills, only to find his body. A few days later he found the Yandruwandha who took him in and looked after him through July, August and September.
Howitt's party reached the Dig Tree depot on the Cooper on 13 September, and two days later his surveyor Edwin Welch found King. Howitt buried Wills on 18 September, and on 25 September began the return journey, bringing back King.
By November Melbourne knew of the fate of Burke and Wills and a Commission of Enquiry was set up to investigate their deaths. Hearings began on 18 November and continued through December. Findings were handed down in January 1862.
Burke's grave was found by McKinley in December, and the Royal Society of Victoria decided to send Howitt to the Cooper again, this time to retrieve the bodies of Burke and Wills. Howitt was back on the Cooper by February, but it was not until December 1862 that the bodies were returned to Melbourne. The funeral was held on 21 January 1863, the first State Funeral in Australia.
See month by month timeline from July 1861 to January 1863
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