Episode Seven: The Burke and Wills Expedition (now even dumber!), Part I
Nicholas Chevalier (1828–1902), Memorandum of the Start of the Exploring Expedition (1860), oil on canvas, 97.4 x 153.2 cm, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. Wikimedia Commons.
On 20 August 1860, after years of stalling and squabbling among organisers, the most expensive overland expedition of its kind left Royal Park, Melbourne, amid much fanfare. Over-equipped and severely lacking in experienced explorers, the Victorian Exploring Expedition was a disaster before it had even left the boundaries of the park.
Hosts Luca and Ana explore a tale quite a bit closer to home, and learn about all the reasons Burke should never have been selected as leader of one of the most famous expeditions in Australian history.
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Many thanks to our composer and producer Marlon Grunden, who you can find at his website here.
Sources and Further Reading
The Dig Tree by Sarah Murgatroyd
Guide to the Papers of Burke and Wills by the National Library of Australia
Burke and Wills Commission Report from the Parliament of Victoria