“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.”
Ursula Le Guin

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been travelers don’t know where they’re going.”
Paul Theroux – An American travel writer and novelist.

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.

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 information on some of the festivities being held to commemorate their achievement.

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 at the Dig Tree (near Coopers Creek in Queensland) in 2011.

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.

On the Northern Territory side of the Tanami Track (wikipedia / ExplorOz / Australian 4×4) which travels 1,032 km from just north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to Halls Creek in Western Australia through the Tanami Desert, you will find the Rabbit Flat Roadhouse, which has been operating for 41 years.

On Friday 31st December 2010 it will be closing permanently and after that date, there will be no services or facilities available.

Until that time the services are available as follows:

Until Monday 1st November 2010 – open every day from 7am to 9pm (sometimes 7pm if no one is around)

From 2nd November 2010 to 31st December 2010 – they will revert to the “partial closures” as before. (Open Fri to Mon only for both fuel & camping)

They have EFTPOS and Credit Card facilities.

I travelled along the Tanami in 2002 and absolutely loved it. I spent a few days roaming around the area and stopped for a diesel topup at Rabbit Flat where i paid $1.50 a litre. When i left Sydney to start the trip i only paid $0.899 a litre. Being so remote I did expect it to be on the pricey side so it didn’t really worry me.

A – The start of the Tanami Track
B – The Rabbit Flat Roadhouse
C – The track ends at Halls Creek