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Burke & Wills ExpeditionPrint Page 
The fountain was erected in memory of those who perished in the Burke and Wills expedition of 1861.
In December 1861, the Eastern and Western Ballarat Councils met to discuss a memorial to the explorers. The architect Canute Andersen proposed a lavish clock tower worth £1000. By June 1862 they had only raised £79 and by the end of 1862 the fund stood at £370.
Sir Henry Barkly was invited to lay the foundation stone at the corner of Sturt and Lydiard Streets and then the councils ran into debt and the ugly bluestone foundation remained unfinished.
In March 1866, the Western Municipal Council decided to complete the monument. Another foundation stone was laid in June 1867 and the fountain was finished by the end of the year. The original inscriptions only included those who had died and no reference was made to King. His inscription was added after his death.
Location
| Address: | Sturt & Lydiard Streets, Ballarat, 3350 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.561954 Long: 143.857515 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Fountain |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Landscape |
| Sub-Theme: | Exploration |
| Designer: | Canute Andersen |
Dedication
| Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 1867 |
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IN MEMORY OF
THE EXPLORERS WHO PERISHED
WHILE CROSSING
THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT
IN THE YEAR OF 1861.
JOHN KING
The Only Survivor
Of The
EXPEDITION
Died At St Kilda
January 15th 1872.
ERECTED
BY THE INHABITANTS OF
BALLAARAT
ROBERT O`HARA BURKE, LEADER,
Died 30th June 1861
WILLIAM JOHN WILLS, SECOND,
Died 30th June 1861
LUDWIG BECKER, NATURALIST,
Died 29th April 1861
CHARLES GREY, ASSISTANT,
Died 17th April 1861
