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Burke & Wills Expedition - (Camp 6)Print Page Print this page

15-September-2013
15-September-2013

Photographs supplied by Graeme Saunders

The memorial marks the site of camp 6 of the exploring expedition of Robert O'Hara Burke and John Wills. The area contains a site marker plaque and a sculptured area featuring a plaque with an excerpt from Ludwig Becker`s Diary. 

The Burke and Wills expedition was an Australian exploration expedition in 1860–61 of 19 men, led by Robert O`Hara Burke and William John Wills, with the objective of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south, to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres (approximately 2,000 miles). At that time most of the inland of Australia had not been explored by non-Indigenous people and was largely unknown to the European settlers.

After dividing the party at Menindee on the Darling River Burke made good progress, reaching Cooper Creek at the beginning of summer. The expedition established a depot camp at the Cooper, and Burke, Wills and two other men pushed on to the north coast (although swampland stopped them from reaching the northern coastline).

The return journey was plagued by delays and monsoon rains, and when they reached the depot at Cooper Creek, they found it had been abandoned just hours earlier. Burke and Wills died on or about 30 June 1861. Several relief expeditions were sent out, all contributing new geographical findings. All together, seven men lost their lives, and only one man, the Irish soldier John King crossed the continent with the expedition and returned alive to Melbourne.

Location

Address:Heathcote - Redesdale Road, Mia Mia "Flat" , Mia Mia, 3444
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -36.996788
Long: 144.572238
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Landscape
Sub-Theme:Exploration
Actual Event Start Date:25-August-1860
Actual Event End Date:27-August-1860

Dedication

Front Inscription

Burke & Wills Expedition
Site of Camp 6
Mia Mia
25 - 27 August 1860

Plaque:
"Day 2 ...the horses, the camels and six
waggons went on together... Day 3... It came
down in torrents. No tea, and we slept in
the wet... Day 6... Arrived at Mia Mia
... Day 7... A day of rest... A great many visitors
from M`Ivor and other places... to look at
the caravan; the Landlord of the Inn had a 
good day". Diary of Ludwig Becker, Naturalist
Victorian Exploration Expedition

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au