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What did Burke and Wills bring on their expedition?
This was the first expedition to use camels as a means of transport. Burke took a two year supply of food, as well as 80 pairs of shoes, beds, hats and buckets, as well as some firewood. The expedition reached Menindee in about 8 weeks.
What did Burke and Wills discover on their journey?
Relief parties from Victoria, Queensland and South Australia sent to search for Burke and Wills, discovered valuable new grazing lands which resulted in increased European settlement of the interior.
What did William John Wills explore?
Wills achieved fame as the second-in-command of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled areas of Victoria to the Gulf of Carpentaria. …
Why was Burke and Wills expedition important?
They were on the return journey of their great expedition to be the first European settlers to cross Australia from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria (South to North), a distance of 3,250 km. Burke, Wills, King and Gray completed their journey South, becoming the first European settlers to explore the region.
When was the Burke and Wills expedition?
August 20, 1860
Burke and Wills expedition/Start dates
What were Burke and Wills famous for?
Forever strung together as one, bonded in death, Robert O’Hara Burke and William Wills are two of Australia’s most famous, and tragic, explorers. The first to successfully cross the continent from south to north, they died beside Cooper Creek in south-west Queensland on the return journey.
Who was involved in Burke and Wills?
On 11 February 1861 four members of the party – Robert O’Hara Burke, William Wills, Charley Gray and John King – reached the Gulf of Carpentaria crossing the continent from south to north. The purpose of the trip was set out in the Royal Society of Victoria’s instructions to Burke which were vague.
Why was the Burke and Wills expedition important?
Victorian Exploring Expedition. The Victorian Exploring Expedition, usually known as the Burke and Wills expedition, remains one of the most celebrated journeys of the ‘heroic era’ of Australian land exploration. In the 1860s the colony of Victoria was flush with wealth from the gold fields and wanted to enter the field of exploration.
What is in the Burke and Wills Collection?
The National Museum of Australia’s collection of objects related to the Burke and Wills expedition include a water bottle which belonged to Burke and a breastplate awarded to the Aboriginal people who came to the explorers’ assistance.
What did Robert O’Hara Burke take on his expedition?
Policeman, Robert O’Hara Burke led an expedition which left from Royal Park, Melbourne on 20 August 1860. Burke travelled with 18 people, 25 camels, 22 horses and some wagons. This was the first expedition to use camels as a means of transport. Burke took a two year supply of food, as well as 80 pairs of shoes, beds,…
When was the Burke and Wills monument built?
Monument to Burke and Wills in Melbourne by Charles Summers. Created 1862-1865, erected March 30, 1865, unveiled April 21, 1865. ( Public Domain ) By 1860, an expedition was organized that was officially named the Victorian Exploring Expedition (VEE).