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1872

Original minute books of the Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria are held at:
State Library of Victoria, SLV MS13071; Boxes 2075/1, 2075/2, 207/3, 2088B/1.
Mostly bound volumes, manuscript, handwritten in ink.
Some missing, some incomplete, and many generally not in chronological order.

Duffy Ministry to 10 June 1872.

Tuesday, 14 May 1872.
Related archive: SLV MS13071, Box 2079/3, RSV EC miscellaneous outward correspondence, February-October 1860 and July 1861-November 1872. 126p.

• Letter dated 14 May 1872. 2p

10 June 1872 - James Francis appointed as Chief Secretary, replacing the Duffy Ministry (to 31 July 1874).

Tuesday, 5 November 1872.
Meeting of the Exploration Committee held at the Royal Society hall.
Present: Stawell (chair), Wilkie, Mueller, Gillbee and Elliott.

After discussing the inscription to be placed on Burke and Wills' grave at the Melbourne General Cemetery, the disposal of the last relict [sic] of the Exploring Expedition, the gold watch, was discussed.

The meeting adjourned to 5.00 pm on the 19th.

Related archive: SLV MS13071, Box 2088B/1, RSV EFC and RSV EC minute book, 1858-1873. 1 bound volume, ms., 295 numbered pages.

• p. 293. Minutes of a meeting of the EC, 5 November 1872.

Tuesday, 19 November 1872.
Final meeting of the Exploration Committee, held at 5.00 pm at the Royal Society hall.
Present: Stawell (chair), Wilkie, Smith, Gillbee and Mueller.

It was decided that:

• The gold watch be disposed of at auction.
• The Supplementary Final Report be adopted.
• All property and documents belonging to the Committee be deposited at the Public Library.
• The inscription for Burke and Wills' grave was decided.

Age: Few persons were aware that the Exploration Committee under which the ill-fated expedition of Burke and Wills was sent was in existence up to a very recent period. A few days ago Sir William Stawell, Dr Wilkie, Mr Gillbee, Baron von Mueller, and Mr James Smith met, when the committee was formally dissolved. There was a sum of £200 left in the hands of the treasurer, £80 of which was handed over to the secretary, and, after meeting all expenses, a further sum of £80 will be in hand. This is to be devoted to keeping in order the graves of Burke and Wills in the Melbourne Cemetery. The relics of the expedition, together with the sketches by the late Mr Ludwig Becker, will be placed in the Public Library.

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