Burke’s Company

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1. Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, with a well equipped party of fifteen men and Aboriginal support, left Melbourne to attempt – successfully – to cross the Australian continent from south to north.

The expedition had two springboards along the way:

Menindee: (on the Darling River) where Burke left half his party (eight men) with most of the stores. Under Wright, these were to follow Burke with the main supplies to establish a permanent depot on the next station at…

… Cooper’s Creek: (some 700 kilometres from Menindee) where Burke again divided his half of the party and, taking three men with him – Gray was to die on the way back – succeeded in the crossing.

Meantime he left Brahe in charge until Wright arrived up from Menindee with the main stores and the other men. But Wright did not arrive. And, after waiting four months with no sign of either Burke or Wright, Brahe left… nine hours before Burke, Wills and King arrived back in advanced stages of exhaustion.

Burke and Wills died of malnutrition two months later. King survived, and was picked up five months later.

Brahe was in the rescue party.