As part of the research project into indigenous involvement in the Burke and Wills Expediton, Ballarat University held a two day International Conference on 24 and 25 November 2011. Attendees were all active participants in the project and had much interesting material to contribute and share. The interest shown promises well for the overall success of the project, and suggests that it will generate enough new research findings to warrant yet another new book, perhaps a companion volume to the book on the science of the expedition.

On 17 August 2011 at Mueller Hall, National Herbarium, in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Dr Linden Gillbank gave an illustrated talk about the contribution made by Dr Herman Beckler, one of the scientists on the Expedition, and about the samples which he brought back and which still reside in the Herbarium. Dr Gillbank is one of the contributors to Burke and Wills: The Scientific Legacy of the Victorian Exploring Expedition, being published by CSIRO in November 2011.

Professor Bernie Joyce, one of the joint editors of the forthcoming book on the Science of Burke and Wills, was a speaker at the Australian and New Zealand Map Society's Annual Conference, Southern Latitudes, held the State Library of NSW, 24-27 May.

His paper was titled "The 150th Anniversary of the Burke & Wills Expedition - reviewing the exploration and mapping of the route, and the naming of places, and relocating the Royal Park Departure camp".

Not exactly on the track, but life-size replicas of Burke and Wills came to Sydney over Christmas 2010. Made out of Lego (yep, those little plastic bricks kids play with). They were seen at Wildlife World.

Burke and Wills week began in Swan Hill on Saturday 4 September with the opening of the special Exhibition at the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery and a showing of the 1985 film Burke and Wills. It ended with a family day full of events in Riverside Park (the site of Camp 15) on Sunday 12 September. Or almost ended: find out about the Library's holiday activity "Walk to the Gulf". For details of the past week, read news reports and see the pictures from the Swan Hill Guardian or read more here …

Pyramid Hill Historical Society continued the 150th anniversary commemorations of the Burke and Wills expedition on Wednesday 1 September 2010 with an open day at Mount Hope Homestead for local schoolchildren and residents. Camp 11 was near Mt Hope. Read the news reports here or here - read more here...

The Victorian Exploring Expedition didn't actually pass through Bendigo, as Burke feared that stopping in the goldfields towns would delay them on their journey northwards. Instead they passed to the east, going from Mia Mia to Elmore. But that didn't stop Bendigo from holding commemorative activities over the weekend from 27-29 August 2010. Read more...

The Baynton Sidonia Landcare Group held a Burke & Wills Night at Baynton Hall on Friday 27 August 2010 to commemorate the anniversary of Camp 5. After a BBQ, the crowd heard talks about the Burke and Wills Expedition. Gary Esnouf was there and provided the following report...

The first Bug Blitz event organised jointly by Bug Blitz Inc and the Royal Society of Victoria was held at Castlemaine Primary School on 20 August 2010, the anniversary of the Departure. Read more...

Ballarat University's project "A History of the the involvement of Indigenous peoples with the Expedition" was officially launched at 11:30am on Monday 19 July 2010 in the Vice-Chancellor's Office of Ballarat University. See pictures

Burke and Wills: The Scientific Legacy of the Victorian Exploring Expedition was official launched by the Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov, at the Royal Society's building at 6pm on Friday 18 November 2011. The event was a celebration of all the work put in by the authors and editors, illustrator, designer and publishers (CSIRO) in the production of this fascinating book. It was also a thank you to the State Library, who provided the digital images that make the book so beautiful.

The publication has generated a flurry of articles and reviews - see In the Media to find out who has said what about the book. Although only officially launched on Friday, the first printing has almost sold out and a second printing is on the way. If you haven't already purchased your copy, you can download an order form or buy on-line from CSIRO Publishing.

The formal inquest of the mock Coronial Enquiry into the deaths of into the deaths of Robert O'Hara Burke, William John Wills and Charley Gray, who died 150 years ago in 1861, was held in the Legislative Assembly Chamber, Parliament of Victoria, over the weekend of 23-24 July. It was conducted by Coroner Dr Jane Hendtlass. Witnesses included General Peter Cosgrove (Ret), Dr Darrell Lewis (Australian National Museum), Mr Dave Phoenix (President, Burke and Wills Historical Society), Dr Greg Parkinson (Physiologist), Assoc Prof Ian Clark (University of Ballarat) and Dr Peter Thorne (Royal Society of Victoria).

Dr Hendtlass's findings will be released later this year. But if you missed the event and are curious about the outcomes you can see pictures of the day or read an unauthorised summary by an audience member here

Burke has had a lot of bad press about his planning for the Expedition. It is ironic that on 21 April 2011, 150 years on from the day when he, with Wills and King, missed Brahe's party at the Dig Tree by 9 hours, another equally hardy and determined group were defeated by the vagaries of the climate in the Australian outback, despite having made the most meticulous plans. Read more about how the Burke and Wills Historical Society had to cancel their planned Dig Tree Conference, and what happened instead. Or listen to the ABC Bush Telegraph broadcast, including a live interview with Society President Dave Phoenix, who made it to the Dig Tree on the day.

The Burke and Wills Environment Expedition was set up to travel from south to north following the original 1860 route as closely as feasible in modern vehicles, working with indigenous rangers and local conservation authorities to assess envi­ronmental impact over the last 150 years and to create plans for repairing damage and addressing threats. The Expedition set out from Melbourne on the anniversary of the Departure in August 2010. They reached the Gulf ahead of the original schedule in November 2010, albeit with a gap in the journey because of the extremely wet conditions in the outback in 2010. Read the blogs of the journey here... 

The Royal Society of Victoria’s “Science along the Track” program has now held events in Castlemaine, Bendigo and Swan Hill, with Balranald yet to come. Read more…

Burke and Wills celebrations were held on Tuesday August 31 at Mitiamo Football ground. They were fortunate enough to have Ros Escott from Hobart come and give a talk as her great-great-great-grandfather was Dr Rowe who owned Terrick Terrick Station in 1860. She was supported by her relations, also descendants of Dr Rowe. From Mitiamo a tour went to Terrick Terrick station, where the Expedition camped 150 years ago (Camp 10). Read more...

The Melbourne Writers Festival teamed with the State Library of Victoria to mount an interesting and varied set of events during September as part of the 2010 Melbourne Writers Festival. Read more...

The Victorian Exploring Expedition spent its first night camped at Moonee Ponds on 20 August 1860. Camp I was celebrated with "An Evening with Jack Thompson" on Saturday night 21 August and a community day in Queen's Park on Sunday 22 August. Read more...

On 20 August 2010, the Burke and Wills Environment Expedition was launched in Royal Park. See picture and story. It has since travelled north through Moonee Ponds, Clarkefield, Lancefield and Mia Mia. Follow its further progress on their blog, or on the Culture Victoria blog.

On 18 August 1860, the Royal Society of Victoria held a Special Meeting of the Society where Burke and another 14 members of the Expedition were present, the official Memorandum of Agreement was read out and then signed by all the members. 150 years later, the Royal Society staged a re-enactment as a curtain-raiser to their annual JE Cummings Oration. Read more...

The original Farewell Banquet for Robert O'Hara Burke in July 1860 was a sell-out, and history repeated itself on Friday 9 July when 160 people gathered in the historic Theatre Royal for the re-enactment, where they enjoyed a highly entertaining evening. Read more... or see the pictures on Facebook or on Picasa albums