Short Bibliography of Published Sources

Primary sources

As soon as the journals and other writings of the expedition members were returned to Melbourne, they were published in many cheap paperbound editions as The Burke and Wills exploring expedition. Since then, some of these journals have appeared in various anthologies, usually heavily edited. The texts of Wills' journals on this website are the most complete yet published.

Wills' father, William Wills senior, edited a selection of expedition documents interwoven with a narrative of his son's life, under the title A successful exploration through the interior of Australia... (London: Richard Bentley, 1863). A modern facsimile reprint of Wills' book was produced by the Friends of the State Library of South Australia in 1996.

Hermann Beckler, the expedition's doctor and botanical collector, was the only member to produce a substantial account, which dealt with the disastrous attempt of William Wright's rearguard party to reach Cooper's Creek. This manuscript, lodged in a German archive, was first published in an English translation as A journey to Cooper's Creek, translated by Stephen Jeffries and Michael Kertesz, and edited by Stephen Jeffries (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press/State Library of Victoria, 1993).

The work of the Exploration Committee was published as Progress Reports and Final Report of the Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria (Melbourne: Royal Society, 1863).

The proceedings of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, including the evidence taken from participants such as John King, William Brahe and William Wright were published in the Victorian Parliamentary Papers, 1861-62, volume 3.

Secondary sources

Bonyhady, Tim. Burke and Wills: from Melbourne to myth. David Ell Press,
Balmain NSW, 1991
By far the most thorough and scholarly account. Bonyhady places the expedition in its social and cultural context, and provides a detailed account of the subsequent evolution of the Burke and Wills legend in Australian culture from the 1860s until the 1990s.

Moorehead, Alan. Cooper's Creek. Hamish Hamilton, London, 1963
An extraordinarily successful book in its day, and seldom out of print since. Moorehead was one of Australia's great journalists, and his acute insight into character and motivation make this a readable and useful introduction to the expedition story.

Tipping, Marjorie. Ludwig Becker: artist and naturalist with the Burke and Wills expedition. Melbourne University Press for the Library Council of Victoria, Carlton, 1979
A detailed account of Becker's role in the expedition, with colour plates of all his drawings in the State Library's 'Ludwig Becker Album' and texts of his expedition journals. 

Earl, John W. &  McCleary, Barry V. 1994 "The mystery of the poisoned expedition"   Nature, volume 368, 21 April, p. 683
This article contains a detailed analysis of the exact cause of the explorers' deaths.