Burke and Wills expedition
The Burke and Wills expedition, led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, was a significant event in Australian exploration history. Commencing in August 1860 from Melbourne, the expedition aimed to traverse the continent from south to north, specifically targeting the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was motivated by multiple factors, including the desire to establish a telegraph route and to assert the capabilities of the newly formed colony of Victoria, which sought to compete with the more established South Australia. The expedition was notable for its scale and resources, being the largest and most well-equipped of its time, consisting of numerous men, camels, and supplies.
Despite the initial enthusiasm and public support, the expedition encountered numerous challenges, including logistical issues, internal conflicts, and harsh environmental conditions. After reaching the Gulf in February 1861, the group faced a dire situation that led to the deaths of Burke, Wills, and another member, Charles Gray, on their return journey. Only one member, John King, survived, thanks to the assistance of Aboriginal people. The subsequent Burke and Wills Commission highlighted several critical errors in judgment made by Burke, particularly regarding resource management and adherence to the expedition's original objectives. Ultimately, while the expedition marked a pioneering route through Australia, it also served as a cautionary tale about the perils of exploration.
Burke and Wills expedition
Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria, becoming the first Europeans to cross Australia from the south to the north. Setting out in August 1860, they led a large party with ample supplies and equipment across the Australian interior to find a route from the south to the north. There were several reasons for the expedition, such as determining a route to connect telegraph lines from a future station on the north to cities in the south, as well as exploring the interior and surveying its geography, climate, wildlife, and plants. The main purpose, however, was to compete with the more-established colony of South Australia and prove nascent Victoria's capabilities. The expedition ended with the deaths of Burke, Wills, and Charles Gray in 1861.
Background
By 1850 explorers had surveyed land along Australia's east coast, crossed the Blue Mountains and explored regions beyond the Great Dividing Range. Much of the interior, however, remained unexplored and unknown. In 1857, the Philosophical Institute of Victoria (renamed the Royal Society of Victoria in 1859) appointed a committee to determine the feasibility of traversing the continent from east to west. Changing its focus, it formed the Victorian Exploring Expedition for the purpose of crossing the continent from the south to the north. While the main purpose of the Royal Society of Victoria was to promote science, its scientific goals for this expedition were secondary to its desire to make Victoria a leader in exploration. Victoria was a relatively young colony that had only been established in 1851, and with its recent wealth from gold mining the colony wanted to prove itself and accomplish feats comparable, or superior, to those of the explorers of South Australia. Of particular concern was beating South Australian explorer John McDouall Stuart in the quest to cross the continent south to north.
The Royal Society committee appointed Robert O'Hara Burke to lead the expedition and three scientific officers to accompany him. William John Wills was named the surveyor and meteorologist; Ludwig Becker, the naturalist and scientific illustrator; and Herman Beckler, the medical officer and botanist. The expedition was funded by the Royal Society and private subscriptions, and was the largest, most expensive and well-equipped expedition to that time. In addition to Burke and the three scientific officers, it included second-in-command John King, camel-master George James Landells, nine assistants, two wagons, more than two dozen camels, more than twenty horses and a two-year supply of food.
The expedition's leader, Burke, was a former lieutenant in the Austrian army who had emigrated to Australia in 1853. At the time of the expedition, he was a police superintendent with no experience in exploration. Historians believe he was selected for his political connections rather than any expertise in the bush or in exploration.
The Expedition and Its Impact
The expedition party left Melbourne on 20 August 1860. A crowd of fifteen thousand well-wishers gathered in Melbourne's Royal Park saw them off. Before they even left the park, one of the wagons broke down, a sign of problems to come with the equipment. In late September, the party was nearing Menindie on the Darling River. By this time, Burke had realised how overburdened the expedition was and he decided to set up a depot and store some equipment and supplies there. Fractures between the party members had also appeared. Burke and Landells, the camel master, argued about the treatment of the camels and Landells resigned shortly before reaching Menindie. Burke put King in charge of the camels, named Wills his second-in-command and appointed William Brahe the foreman.
The group set up a depot at Menindie on 23 September. Burke then split the party, leaving about half the men at the depot, with the plan they would later follow and bring supplies to the advance group. William Wright, an experienced bushman, joined the group as a guide. The advance group of Burke, six men and fifteen camels departed for Cooper's Creek (now Cooper Creek) on 19 October. Ten days later, Burke sent Wright to Menindie to retrieve the supplies and camels and bring them to Cooper's Creek.
On 11 November, the advance group set up camp on Cooper's Creek. Concerned that Stuart was preparing a similar south-north expedition, Burke was eager to travel quickly and lightly. Without waiting for Wright to bring the supplies, he decided to set up a depot on the creek, leave men, equipment and supplies at the depot and head for the Gulf of Carpentaria with a small party and lightened load. Burke, Wills, King, and Charles Gray left Cooper's Creek on 16 December with six camels and several months of provisions for their 2,400 kilometre journey.
By the time the group reached the gulf on the Little Bynoe River in February 1861, they had lost some camels and were exhausted, in poor shape and low on supplies. Rather than travelling further so they could see the ocean, they set out for their return journey on 13 February 1861. Gray died on 17 April from exhaustion, just four days before Burke, Wills, and King arrived at the Cooper's Creek depot to find it deserted. A message had been inscribed in a coolabah tree telling them a location to dig. There they found a small supply of rations and a note stating the party had left earlier that day. Burke decided the group should head to a police station at Mount Hopeless, about 80 kilometres away, rather than try to catch up with the recently departed party. Weak and unable to travel far, the group eventually returned to the Cooper's Creek area in hopes a search party would find them. In late June, Wills died from exhaustion. Burke died a few days later. King was found by Aboriginal people, who nursed him back to health. A search party found him on 15 September 1861.
In November 1861, the Burke and Wills Commission was established to review the results of the expedition and investigate the factors leading to its tragic end. The Commission concluded that Burke had made numerous judgements of error in his desire to travel quickly. He failed to follow instructions from the Exploration Committee, appointed Wright to an important position without personal knowledge of his skills, and left for the gulf with inadequate provisions.
The expedition was successful in creating a route to the north, and within a decade, pastoralists and others had followed it to settle the area around Cooper's Creek.
Bibliography
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