20 August 2008
148 years ago today
Posted by Mick under: Historical Info .
148 years ago today, at around 4pm on August the 20th 1860, the “Victorian Exploring Expedition”, (later to be known as the Burke & Wills Expedition), departed on their ill-fated journey from Royal Park in Melbourne to the sound of cheering from thousands of people.
Burke’s farewell speech from the Burke & Wills Web website …
The Victorian Exploring Expedition left Royal Park, Melbourne on Monday 20th August 1860. Originally intending to leave at 1.00 pm, it was 4.00 pm before the party got away. Dr Eades, Mayor of Melbourne, mounted one of the drays and made a speech.
“Mr Burke, I am fully aware that the grand assemblage, this day, while it has impeded your movements in starting, is at the same time a source of much gratification to you. It assures you of the most sincere sympathy of the citizens. (Hear hear), I will not detain you; but for this great crowd, and on behalf of the colony at large, I say - God speed you ! (Cheers).”
His worship the Mayor then called for three cheers for Burke, then three cheers for Mr Landells and then three cheers for the party as a whole. Mr Eades then said ;“God speed and bless you !”
…to which Burke replied;“Mr Mayor, On behalf of myself and the expedition, I beg to return to you my most sincere thanks. No expedition has ever started under such favourable circumstances as this. The people, the Government, the Committee - all have done heartily what they could do. It is now our turn, and we shall never do well until we entirely justify what you have done in showing what we can do (Cheers).”
The band struck up “CHEER BOYS, CHEER” and the party headed northwards in the direction of the Sarah Sands Hotel before turning and traversing the whole length of the Park to the south gate and passing then round the cattle yards, the camels’ manure pile and then past the swamp and out of the South Gate onto Flemington Road then Mount Alexander Road towards Essendon.
While it is without a doubt one of the most famous and talked about expedition’s undertaken on the Australian mainland, it was also possibly one of the most badly organised expedition’s as well.
From the Burke and Wills Expedition Wikipedia entry…
In 1860-61 Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 2,800 kilometres (1,750 miles). At that time most of the inland of Australia had not been explored by non-indigenous people and was completely unknown to the European settlers.
The south-north leg was successfully completed (except they were stopped by swampland 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the northern coastline) but owing to poor leadership and bad luck, both of the expedition’s leaders died on the return journey. All together, seven men lost their lives, and only one man, John King, travelled the entire expedition and returned alive to Melbourne.
I’ve posted most of these links before, but since it’s the 148th anniversary of the expedition starting, i thought i would post them again.
Along with the Wikipedia entry, you can find a heap more information, photos, maps, and other things, at the links below.
Burke & Wills Web
Lots of info over at this website, including the Buke & Wills Walk.
The Burke and Wills Historical Society
A group of BUrke and Wills enthusiasts who also run the Burke & Wills Conference every two years, with the next one being held in Melbourne in 2009.
The Burke & Wills Walk 2008
Dave Phoenix is retracing the route of the Burke & Wills Expedition on foot and departed from Royal Park on the 1st if August 2008. You can track his progress via his blog.
Across Australia with Burke and Wills
A Google Earth Community complete with details Google Earth KML file and Google Maps route as well.
Memorials
A list of Burke and Wills memorials at White Hat.
In the Tracks of Burke and Wills
Follow Mike Wills (fourth cousin, four times removed of William John Wills) and friends as they trace the route of the Burke & Wills Expedition.
I would also recommend reading a book that was published in 2002 and written by Sarah Murgatroyd called, “The Dig Tree”, which is probably one of the better books about the expedition, and is available to buy online at Westprint.
Coincidently I finished reading the book today :)
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