Terra Incognita

In 1860, Burke and Wills set out from Melbourne to travel the length of the Australian continent to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Officially named the Victorian Exploring Expedition, this venture was funded entirely by the newly independent colony of Victoria.  

On this website you can follow the Victorian Exploring Expedition's journey through the land of the Australian interior which was, at that time, unknown to Europeans - terra incognita, and then explore the extensive archive of Burke and Wills-related material held by the State Library of Victoria.

Background Victoria and the Age of Exploration, Fundraising, and the Royal Society of Victoria.

Preparations The Applicants, Camels, Stores and Supplies, and William Strutt and the Art of Exploration.

Explorers Robert Burke, William Wills, Ludwig Becker, Hermann Beckler, the Indian Sepoys and others.

Expedition Melbourne, Menindie, Cooper's Creek, the Gulf of Carpentaria, Last Days and more.

Aftermath Relief Expeditions, State Funeral, Monuments and Parliamentary Inquiry.

Archives Chronologies, The Press, Journals, Maps, Sketches, Photographs and more.

About this Site Short Bibliography, About the Author and Acknowledgements.