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and welcome to Burke & Wills Web, the online digital research archive of the expedition's records.
The Burke and Wills Expedition was originally called the Victorian Exploring Expedition and its aim was to cross the continent of Australia from Melbourne on the south coast to the north coast, which at the time was uninhabited by the migaloo (white-fella). No one had done this before, and to the Victorian colonists the centre of the continent was unknown, unmapped and unexplored.
The expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria and it became the first to cross the continent. Three men traveled 5,000 kilometres from Melbourne to the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria and then back to the Depôt Camp at Cooper Creek. Seven men died in the attempt, including the leader, Robert O'Hara Burke and the third in command William John Wills. Only one of the four men who reached the north coast, John King, survived to return to Melbourne.
Secretary of the Exploration Committee, John Macadam, compiled the records of the Expedition and wrote to the Premier of Victoria asking for assistance in making the records available to the public:
Macadam's wishes were not fulfilled. Many of the records were lost and the surviving ones have become overshadowed by the huge amount of popular literature that has been published. Now, 150 years after the expedition, Burke & Wills Web is the realisation of that dream. This website is an historic research resource which provides digital access to the primary archive sources, that 'accumulated mass of valuable geographical information' that Macadam referred to.
| Memorabilia for sale through this website includes: | |||
| • | Following Burke & Wills across Victoria: A touring guide | $29.95 | More details |
| • | Burke and Wills: The Scientific Legacy of the Victorian Exploring Expedition | $59.95 | More details |
| • | Burke & Wills 150th Anniversary Commemorative Medallions | $29.95 | More details |
| For further details about these items, please use the Contact_Form to send an email to Dave Phoenix. | |||
Burke & Wills Web: Terms of Use
Your use of this website is subkect to the following terms and conditions. Content on this webspace is licensed under an Australian Creative Commons 3.0 License. Please read the Disclaimer and Privacy statements before proceeding, as well as the Statement on Aboriginal culture. There are details about the website creator, Dave_Phoenix, and there is a Help_Page with links which might assist you find your way around.