State Library of Victoria program

State Library of Victoria Burke and Wills 150th Anniversary Program

The State Library of Victoria's Burke and Wills 150th Anniversary Program began with the opening of the Terra Incognita exhibition on Friday 7 May 2010. More details of the program follow...

Burke and Wills: Terra Incognita

Free Exhibition at the Cowen Gallery, State Library of Victoria

This 150th Anniversary display comprised contemporary portraits of Burke, Wills, and other officers, original documents including the last rough notes left in a buried cache by the dying explorers, and original objects used on the expedition, including the recently donated spirit level found at the Plant Camp site.

Curator's tours of the Burke & Wills: Terra Incognita exhibition

These tours were conducted by curator Gerard Hayes during August and September 2010.

Terra Incognita on-line

The State Library has compiled an on-line education resource from its extensive collection of Burke and Wills documents and images. This fully illustrated resource is for use by teachers and students studying VCE Level 4 (Years 5 & 6). The resource is on-line as part of the new DIG website.

Schools workshops at the SLV

In the 150th anniversary year of the Burke and Wills Expedition, teachers were invited to bring their students to the Library to discover the story of Burke and Wills. By viewing original artefacts and artworks, followed by a hands-on workshop, students could begin to comprehend the mammoth Victorian Exploring Expedition of 1860, and develop and understanding of exploration, the Australian environment and outback survival skills.

Burke & Wills online portal

During 2010, the SLV recently launched a new dedicated website called "DIG". This comprehensive portal includes a rich variety of material on Burke & Wills including

  • the updated and enhanced Terra Incognita website
  • research gateway linking to major collections of Burke and Wills material around Australia
  • a geo-caching project in partnership with Geo-Caching Australia
  • digitised documents and pictures from the State Library of Victoria collection
  • science, english, history, drama, geography and art education modules for teachers and students for VELS and the National Curriculum