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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke and Wills expedition | 9/9 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:39:46.567045+00:00 | kb-cron |
Howitt sailed from Adelaide to Melbourne on the SS Havilah with the remains of Burke and Wills in a small wooden box, arriving at Hobson's Bay on 28 December 1862. The box was taken to the hall of the RSV, and a coffining ceremony was held on 31 December. This ceremony was delayed because Dr. John Macadam, who held the only key to the box, arrived late. A locksmith was called but before he could pick the lock Dr Macadam, blaming his own distress for his lateness, finally arrived with the key. The remains were placed in state for two weeks. Around 100,000 people visited the RSV hall to view the coffins. It was originally proposed that the funeral should take place at St James Cathedral, but it was decided this would be impractical because of the expected crowds and the difficulty of moving the coffins into the church from the grand mourning vehicle. It was agreed that a service at the cemetery would be appropriate. The order and carriage of the clergy was discussed with agreement that they would walk in the procession with the Protestant clergy in front, followed by the Roman Catholics. This small example of ecumenism is interesting given the general enmity and divisive sectarianism between Irish Catholics and English Protestants that blighted Victoria's history over the previous century. The state funeral of Burke and Wills was held on 21 January 1863. It was an elaborate affair, with the funeral car modelled on the design used for the Duke of Wellington ten years earlier. It was estimated that 40,000 people lined the streets of Melbourne. Many had travelled from rural Victoria, especially the Castlemaine area where Burke had served most recently as police superintendent. Burke and Wills were buried at the Melbourne General Cemetery. There the Dean of Melbourne, Hussey Burgh Macartney, conducted an Anglican burial service, but clergy representing various Christian denominations were represented in the funeral procession. At 8pm that evening there was a public meeting at St George's Hall, where Macadam addressed the crowd, and acknowledged the contributions of Ambrose Kyte, Howitt and Commander Norman.
=== Legacy ===
In some ways the tragic expedition was not a waste. It completed the picture of inland Australia and proved that there was no inland sea. More importantly, each of the rescue parties sent from different parts of the continent added in some way to the understanding of the land it crossed. In the years immediately following the expedition, monuments to Burke were erected in Melbourne, Castlemaine, Ballarat, Bendigo, Beechworth and Fryerstown. In 1863, when Julius von Haast searched for a crossing from Otago to the west coast in New Zealand, he named two rivers flowing into the Haast River after Burke and Wills. In 1983, the Burke and Wills expedition were honoured on a postage stamp depicting their portraits issued by Australia Post. In August 2010 Australia Post issued four stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary. A silent movie, A Romance of Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860, was released in 1918. The plot is fictional and only loosely connected to the historical expedition. In 1957, Anthony Quayle was linked to a proposed film about the expedition written by Ralph Peterson. It was never made. In the 1960s, William Sterling attempted to make a feature film about the expedition that resulted in the short documentary Return Journey. In 1970 it was announced a film of the expedition written by Terence Rattigan called Mr Burke and Mr Wills would start filming later that year, but no film resulted. The 1966 stage play Burke's Company dramatised the expedition. In 1975 an episode of a BBC documentary series called The Explorers featured the Burke and Wills expedition, narrated by David Attenborough (replaced with narration by Anthony Quinn in the later 1976 US broadcast) and directed by Lord Snowdon. In 1985 the film, Burke & Wills, was made with Jack Thompson as Burke and Nigel Havers as Wills. Also in 1985, the spoof Wills & Burke was released with Garry McDonald as Burke and Kym Gyngell as Wills. In 2002 the book "The Dig Tree" by Sarah Murgatroyd was published. This provides a detailed account of the expedition. In November 2009 the Royal Australian Mint issued two coins, $1 and a 20 cent, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the expedition.
== Heritage listings == Heritage listings associated with the Burke and Wills expedition include:
Burke and Wills Dig Tree near Thargomindah within Durham, Shire of Bulloo, listed on the Queensland Heritage Register Burke and Wills Plant Camp near Betoota within Birdsville, Shire of Diamantina, listed on the Queensland Heritage Register Burke and Wills Camp B/CXIX near Normanton, Shire of Carpentaria, listed on the Queensland Heritage Register
== See also == History of Australia Royal Society of Victoria List of places associated with the Burke and Wills expedition
== References ==
== Further reading ==
== External links ==