Some sources say that Robert O'Hara Burke was born at St Clerans, County Galway, Ireland on 6 May 1821, others say 6 May 1820, while others cite February 1821. The real date remains unknown.
William Wills was born on 5 January 1834 at Totnes, Devon, England.
Going by the information Burke and Wills left in their journals, it is believed that Burke died on 30 June 1861. Wills possibly died a day or two earlier, as his final journal entry is dated 27 June 1861.
it has long been thought that Burke and Wills died from starvation. This was not the case, strictly speaking.
Burke and Wills's deaths were not due to starvation or malnutrition, but inadvertent poisoning. The men knew that the Aborigines gathered nardoo, which the aboriginal tribe had used to sustain Burke and Wills, until they were frightened off by Burke's defensiveness against the Aborigines. So, whilst awaiting the rescue that never came, Burke and Wills made their way to where they knew nardoo could be found. Nardoo was an important bush food for Aborigines, who knew how to prepare its seedpods (or, strictly speaking, sporocaps) to make flour. The sporocarps contain poisons that must first be removed for them to be eaten safely. Studies of the explorers' journals indicate that they probably died of nardoo poisoning, after failing to follow precautions from the Aborigines of how to prepare it safely.
When they embarked upon their exploration in August 1860, Robert O'Hara Burke was 39 years old, while William Wills was only 25 years old.
The names of these two Australian explorers were:
Robert O'Hara Burke
William John Wills
The expedition of explorers Burke and Wills ended with their deaths in June 1861.
They didn't.
Burke and Wills reached the tidal flats of the Gulf of Carpentaria on 11 February 1861.
No. Burke and Wills did not know each other before being appointed their positions in the exploration to cross the continent.
Yes. Explorers Burke and Wills did meet Aborigines. Initially,the indigenous people tried to assist the explorers by feeding them. However, Burke became suspicious of the Aborigines and fearful that they were stealing supplies, so he frightened them off with gunshots. As a result, the indigenous people abandoned Burke and Wills, although they did keep John King alive.
Because Robert O'Hara Burke and William Wills were the first to travel through western and northern Queensland, there are several places named after them in that part of Queensland.BurketownBurke RiverO'Hara's Gap in the Selwyn RangesBurke and Wills were both from Victoria, so there are numerous sites around the state commemorating the two men.Burke Museum, Beechworth (where Burke was Superintendent of Police for some time) and a minument to Burke in Castlemaine, where he was also SuperintendentA monumental bronze statue, currently in the centre of Melbourne, but which has previously been in various other locations around MelbourneA memorial cairn in Melbourne's Royal Park, the point of Burke and Wills' departureA Burke & Wills memorial fountain in Ballarat's main streetA monument in the main Bendigo CemeteryThe Dig Tree, the Burke Tree and other monuments at Cooper Creek, where the men spent their final weeks awaiting rescueA huge memorial in Melbourne General CemeteryThe Victorian electorate of Wills is named after William Wills.In addition:The Haast Pass area of New Zealand was being explored about the time of the searches for Burke and Wills. Julius von Haast named several features after them, There is the Burke River, and the Wills River, both extraordinarily different from the country of their patronym's exploration country.
No. Explorers Burke and Wills were unrelated.
Robert O'hara Burke died in 1861 only 41 Wills was 27 when he died
Burke and Wills travelled from Melbourne, Victoria to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The exploration of Burke and Wills took place in 1860-1861.
Australian explorers Burke and Wills spoke English.
Burke came from Ireland, Wills from England
The Burke and Wills expedition left Melbourne in 1860.
On the Burke and Wills expedition, Wills was initially appointed as third-in-command, surveyor, astronomical and meteorological observer. When George Landells resigned after a dispute with Burke (some sources say Burke fired Landells), Wills was then appointed second-in-command.
The Burke and Wills expedition left Melbourne in 1860.
Thoroughly. Burke and Wills both died in June/July 1861.
During Burke and Wills' expedition, they used both horses and camels.
Burke and Wills - 2006 is rated/received certificates of: Australia:MA