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John King Print Page 
The tombstone erected over the grave commemorates John King, the only survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition.
The expedition of Burke, Wills, Gray and KIng left Cooper's Creek on the 16th December, 1860 and reached Carpentaria in February, 1861. After much hardship, Gray died on the return journey and the rest of the party reached Cooper's Creek in an exhausted state on the 21st April 1861. Unfortunately the Depot Party, commanded by Mr Brahe had left the same day.
The surviving trio made several attempts to escape from Cooper's Creek but were unable to do so and eventually Burke and Wills both died from hunger and exhaustion. John King survived with the assistance of the Yandruwandha people until he was rescued by Alfred Howitt. King never fully recovered from his ordeal and died at the age of 31 on the 16th January 1872.
Location
| Address: | College Crescent, Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North, 3054 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.787367 Long: 144.964617 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Grave |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Exploration |
Dedication
To the memory of John King
Sole survivor of the Burke and Wills Exploration Party left to recount the events of that expedition
Deceased 15 Jan 1872
Aged 31 years
