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Burke and Wills Expedition
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Burke and Wills Expedition

Australia
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Quick Summary

The Burke and Wills Expedition was an Australian exploration effort in 1860 to cross the continent from south to north. Led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, the expedition departed from Melbourne with a larger party, intending to establish supply bases. However, Burke, impatient, pushed forward with Wills, Charles Gray, and John King, reaching the Gulf of Carpentaria in February 1861.

The return journey proved disastrous. Gray died of exhaustion, and upon reaching their base camp at the Barcoo River, they found it deserted, having left just hours before. Burke and King attempted to reach Adelaide but succumbed to exhaustion, with Burke dying two days before reaching safety. King was eventually rescued. Wills's journal, found with his body, documented the expedition's tragic end.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Robert O’Hara Burke
  2. European exploration - Australia

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