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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke and Wills expedition | 6/9 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:39:46.567045+00:00 | kb-cron |
In 1861, five expeditions were sent out to search for Burke and Wills; two commissioned by the Exploration Committee, one by the Victorian government, one by the government of Queensland and one by the government of South Australia. HMCSS Victoria was sent from Melbourne to search the Gulf of Carpentaria for the missing expedition, and SS Firefly sailed from Melbourne to Brisbane, where they picked up William Landsborough's Queensland Relief Expedition. The other expeditions went overland, with Howitt's Victorian Contingent Party departing from Melbourne, John McKinlay's South Australian Burke Relief Expedition departing from Adelaide and Frederick Walker's Victorian Relief Expedition departing from Rockhampton.
=== Victorian Contingent Party === After six months without receiving word from the Burke and Wills expedition, the media began questioning its whereabouts. Public pressure for answers increased and on 13 June 1861, the Exploration Committee agreed to send a search party to find the expedition and, if necessary, offer them support. The Victorian Contingent Party left Melbourne on 26 June 1861 under the leadership of Alfred Howitt. At the Loddon River, Howitt met Brahe, who was returning from Cooper Creek. As Brahe did not have knowledge of Burke's whereabouts, Howitt decided a much larger expedition would be required to find the missing party. Leaving three of his men at the river, Howitt returned to Melbourne with Brahe to update the Exploration Committee. On 30 June, the expanded expedition left to follow Burke's trail. On 8 September, the party reached Cooper Creek, on 11 September the "Dig Tree", and four days later the two Aboriginal members of the party, Sandy and Frank, brought news to Howitt that King had been found, living with the Yandruwandha. Over the next week, Howitt located the remains of Burke and Wills and buried them. Howitt had transported four messenger pigeons with him from Melbourne to release when Burke and Wills had been found. On releasing these pigeons one was immediately eaten by a kite while another stayed close to the camp. Howitt gave tomahawks, knives, mirrors, beads, sugar, flour, ribbons and Union Jack handkerchiefs to the Yandruwandha for their kind treatment toward Burke, Wills and King. Tchukulow, Mungalee and the woman Carrawaw were some of the main people acknowledged by Howitt. Although King was found in a pitiful condition, he recovered rapidly to complete the two-month trip back to Melbourne. He died eleven years later, aged 33, never having fully recovered his health. He is buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.
=== HMVS Victoria ===
On 4 August 1861, HMCSS Victoria, under the Command of William Henry Norman, sailed from Hobson's Bay with orders to search the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Victorian government also chartered Firefly (188 tons, built 1843) to assist with transportation. Firefly left Hobson's Bay on 29 July and arrived at Moreton Bay in Brisbane on 10 August 1861, the same day as Victoria. Firefly transported the Queensland party led by William Landsborough, along with thirty horses. The two ships sailed for the Gulf on 24 August 1861. The ships became separated in a storm on 1 September, and Firefly hit a reef off Sir Charles Hardy Islands. The crew were able to free and save twenty-six of the horses by cutting a hole in the side of the ship. Victoria arrived shortly afterwards. Firefly was repaired and able to be towed by Victoria. They recommenced their journey on 22 September, arriving near Sweers Island and Albert River on 29 September, where they rendezvoused with the brig Gratia and the schooner Native Lass, which had also been chartered by the Victorian government as support. They established a land base on Sweers, after visiting Bentinck Island and finding it inhabited by "hostile natives". Using Victoria's boats, Firefly was manoeuvred up the Albert River some 20 miles (32 km) to a suitable place to transfer the horses and stores to land.
=== Queensland Relief Expedition === After disembarking from Victoria in November, Landsborough's Queensland Relief Expedition searched the north coast for the missing expedition. The party proceeded south and, while they found no trace of Burke's party, they continued all the way to Melbourne arriving in August 1862. This was the first European expedition to traverse mainland Australia from northern to southern coast. Landsborough named various geographical entities along the way, such as the Barkly Tableland, Gregory River and Aramac Creek. On reaching the Thomson River, they were guided along the best routes by the local Aboriginal people, while at the Barcoo River they had a skirmish with a clan of the Kuungkari, resulting in one of these people being shot dead. In 1881, the Queensland Parliament awarded Landsborough £2000 for his achievements as an explorer.
=== Victorian Relief Expedition === Frederick Walker led the Victorian Relief Expedition. The party, consisting of twelve mounted men, seven of them ex-troopers from the Native Police Corps, started from Rockhampton on 7 September 1861 with the goal of reaching the Gulf of Carpentaria. On 30 October, they came across a group of Aboriginal people at the Stawell River, killing twelve in the fight that ensued. On 25 November, they found traces of Burke's track near the Bynoe River and followed them close to Camp 119 but lost the trail from there. On 1 December they had another encounter with a large group of Aboriginals, whom they charged and inflicted a heavy loss upon. On 7 December, Walker met up with Commander Norman of Victoria in the Gulf.