What was the background of Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills?

Answer 1

Robert O'Hara Burke was an Irishman who had absolutely no experience in exploring, and it remains a mystery as to why he was even chosen to lead the expedition. He held several roles within the police department and, at the time of his appointment to the expedition, was a police superintendent on the goldfields.

William John Wills was an English-born surveyor. He trained for awhile as a surgeon, but his experience was in surveying.

Answer 2

Robert O'Hara Burke was rather an unlikely choice to head up the Victorian expedition to cross Australia from south to north. He was an Irish police superintendent from the Victorian goldfields, with no exploration experience. However, he was desperately in love with a young actress named Julia Matthews, and it is believed that he volunteered to lead the expedition in the hopes of impressing her. One of seven children, he entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich in May 1835, at the age of fifteen but failed his probationary exam in 1836 and went to Belgium to continue his education. He then joined the Austrian army where he reached the rank of first Lieutenant, so he had a great deal of experience in military structure, discipline and organisation. He joined the Irish Constabulary when he returned to Ireland in 1848, and migrated to Australia in 1853. After that, he spent some time moving between towns whilst employed by the police force, until he was promoted to Superintendent at Castlemaine.