Mr Burke and Mr Wills By Geoff Hocking

The nineteenth century was the great age of exploration. In Australia, exploration parties criss-crossed the harsh interior of the continent in search of glory; some opened up valuable new land for grazing and development, others simply got lost.

In the colony of Victoria a group of influential gentlemen funded an expedition to cross the country from south to north. They chose the eccentric ex-policeman and veteran of the Hungarian Hussars, Irish-born Robert O'Hara Burke, to lead the expedition.

Mr Burke & Mr Wills tells the story of the epic journey taken by Robert O'Hara Burke, companion William Wills and their party as they trekked through the sun-bleached desert to the mangrove swamps of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was through a series of mishaps and poor planning that Burke and Wills died on their return journey.

Their 'heroic' deaths sent the colony into mourning, which lasted until their remains were finally recovered and laid to rest in Melbourne.

Book Information

Format: Paperback

Published: 2005

Genre: History

Pages: 32

Dimensions: 290 x 210mm

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