The Explorers. Burke and Wills 1860-1861
Apr 8, 2021 6:15:29 GMT -5
knot, rozenn, and 1 more like this
Post by greysrigging on Apr 8, 2021 6:15:29 GMT -5
A brave and ultimately tragic Expedition from the south of the Continent to the north coast on the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Expedition leaders ultimately perished on the return journey south, arriving at their depot at Coopers Creek only a day after the site was abandoned by the second half of the explorers crew, who waited 4 months for their return. The Depot crew buried stores and provisions at the foot of an old Coolibah Tree on the banks of a permanent waterhole on the Coopers Creek, and blazed the tree with instructions to 'Dig' for supplies. Unfortunately the surviviving returning Expeditioners were too weak to survive and perished from starvation soon after. The Dig Tree and the sites of the deaths of Burke and Wills are etched in the folklore and history of Australia, a forlorn example of heroic failure.
I'm a bit of an amateur historian and have followed the path of these intrepid explorers, ( albeit in a modern 4wd SUV haha ) and visited many of their historical camp sites, including the grave sites and the 'Dig Tree' on the Coopers Creek. The 'Dig Tree' is estimated to be 250 years old and still survives, and is a registered Historical Site on the National Register of such things.
www.thedigtree.com.au/burke-and-wills-expedition/
Melbourne
Crossing the Murray River at Swan Hill into NSW
Swan Hill
Menindee was the last outpost ( ie settlements ) before venturing into the unexplored wilderness. By all accounts the Expedition rather enjoyed the conviiviality of the Menindee Hotel.
Menindee.
The Expedition passed through the Tibooburra district of far north western NSW. A few years later gold was discovered nearby and the town became a major center of settlement. After the gold ran out, the pastoral industry ( sheep ) became the mainstay of the local economy.
There's 2 Pubs in the modern town, I've made a bit of a goose of myself at both of 'em !
Tibooburra.
The Expedition set up a base supply Depot on the banks of the Coopers Creek near the modern settlement of Innamincka, then split the team with Burke and Wills making a dash to the northern Gulf of Carpentria coast, taking 3 months of provisions, and expecting to hunt game to top up their supplies. They returned 4 months later, after the Depot crew had abandoned the site only 16 hours earlier. They slowly starved to death in the ensuing weeks, with only one man ( John King ) surviving to tell the the tale.
Innamincka ( data from nearby gasfields at Moomba )
Burke, Wills, King and Gray, with 1 horse, 6 camels and 3 months of provisions made a dash for the northern coast.
australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/trailblazers/burke-and-wills/
Birdsville.
The town of Boulia is sited on the banks of the Burke River.
Boulia
The Expeditioners struggled through the rugged Selwyn Ranges near Cloncurry.
Cloncurry
And the Expeditioners never actually made it to the Gulf coast, being defeated by wet season floods, swamps and coastal mangroves near Burketown.
Burketown.
Ultimately, a heroic failure , with Gray dying of malnutrition, Burke and Wills dying of starvation on the banks of the Coopers Creek, and King, with help of friendly Aboriginals survived to be rescued by a relief party several months later. His health was broken and he died aged 33 in 1872.
I'm a bit of an amateur historian and have followed the path of these intrepid explorers, ( albeit in a modern 4wd SUV haha ) and visited many of their historical camp sites, including the grave sites and the 'Dig Tree' on the Coopers Creek. The 'Dig Tree' is estimated to be 250 years old and still survives, and is a registered Historical Site on the National Register of such things.
www.thedigtree.com.au/burke-and-wills-expedition/
Melbourne
Crossing the Murray River at Swan Hill into NSW
Swan Hill
Menindee was the last outpost ( ie settlements ) before venturing into the unexplored wilderness. By all accounts the Expedition rather enjoyed the conviiviality of the Menindee Hotel.
Menindee.
The Expedition passed through the Tibooburra district of far north western NSW. A few years later gold was discovered nearby and the town became a major center of settlement. After the gold ran out, the pastoral industry ( sheep ) became the mainstay of the local economy.
There's 2 Pubs in the modern town, I've made a bit of a goose of myself at both of 'em !
Tibooburra.
The Expedition set up a base supply Depot on the banks of the Coopers Creek near the modern settlement of Innamincka, then split the team with Burke and Wills making a dash to the northern Gulf of Carpentria coast, taking 3 months of provisions, and expecting to hunt game to top up their supplies. They returned 4 months later, after the Depot crew had abandoned the site only 16 hours earlier. They slowly starved to death in the ensuing weeks, with only one man ( John King ) surviving to tell the the tale.
Innamincka ( data from nearby gasfields at Moomba )
Burke, Wills, King and Gray, with 1 horse, 6 camels and 3 months of provisions made a dash for the northern coast.
australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/trailblazers/burke-and-wills/
Birdsville.
The town of Boulia is sited on the banks of the Burke River.
Boulia
The Expeditioners struggled through the rugged Selwyn Ranges near Cloncurry.
Cloncurry
And the Expeditioners never actually made it to the Gulf coast, being defeated by wet season floods, swamps and coastal mangroves near Burketown.
Burketown.
Ultimately, a heroic failure , with Gray dying of malnutrition, Burke and Wills dying of starvation on the banks of the Coopers Creek, and King, with help of friendly Aboriginals survived to be rescued by a relief party several months later. His health was broken and he died aged 33 in 1872.
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