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. 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 comprises 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 will be conducted by curator Gerard Hayes. Dates and times are:

Saturday 14 August 2010 at 11:00am. Book on-line

Thursday 19 August 2010 at 5:30pm. Book on-line

Friday 20 August 2010 at 1:00pm. Book on-line

Sunday 5 September 2010 at 2:00pm (part of the Melbourne Writers Festival program)

Book by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone on 03 8664 7099

Free lectures on the Burke and Wills legacy

At the Village Roadshow Theatrette. Bookings 03 8664 7099 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Enduring Legacy of Burke and Wills  Sunday 5 September 3:00 - 4:30pm

Join historian Dr Clare Wright, Dr Chris McAuliffe, Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Alan Attwood, author of Burke's Soldier and poet Ray Liversidge for a discussion that looks at how Burke and Wills have been presented in the arts.

Lost and found: Relics of the Burke and Wills expedition  Thursday 30 September 6:00 - 7:30pm

Join Shane Carmody (director, Collections and Access at the SLV) in conversation with leading historians and researchers including Robyn Annear and Dave Phoenix. Find out what the Library's rich collection tells us about the expedition and why it still captures our imagination today.

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 now at www.slv.vic.gov.au/services/education/burke-wills-edu-kit.html.

Schools workshops at the SLV

In the 150th anniversary year of the Burke and Wills Expedition, teachers are 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 can begin to comprehend the mammoth Victorian Exploring Expedition of 1860, and develop and understanding of exploration, the Australian environment and outback survival skills.

These workshops are designed for students studying Levels 3 & 4 (years 3-6), and target Curriculum Key Domains of History and Thinking processes. The duration is 90 minutes and the cost $7 per student. Book by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or by phone 03 8664 7555.

Burke & Wills online portal

The SLV will launch a new dedicated website with its own URL in August 2010. This comprehensive portal will include 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