Many of those who wished to go as 'officers' of the expedition party made their approaches through personal contacts with the Exploration Committee. Of the more than 600 letters of application which survive, most are from men without contacts or connections, hoping for steady pay rather than adventure or fame.
Many had been in the British Army, or in other military force. Some, like Burke himself, had served in the colonial police. Most had spent time on the goldfields, and almost all thought it important to stress their experience of life in the 'bush', as well as their ability to handle horses, wagons and livestock.
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