Cooper's Creek

1. The Allure of the Unknown: Australia's "Ghastly Blank"

Let any man, lay the map of Australia before him, and regard the blank upon its surface, and then let me ask him if it would not be an honourable achievement to be the first to place foot in its centre.

Untouched continent. In 1860, Australia's vast interior remained largely unexplored, a "ghastly blank" on maps, despite flourishing coastal settlements like Melbourne. This ancient land, with its unique flora and fauna, presented a stark contrast to Europe, its very leaves "ever-grey" and its seasons inverted. The indigenous Aborigines lived in a timeless apathy, building no villages and planting no crops, seemingly untouched by progress.

Gold rush boom. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, had experienced bewildering growth since gold was discovered near Ballarat in 1851, transforming it from a pastoral backwater into a bustling city. This sudden wealth fueled a desire for further expansion and connection, driving the ambition to cross the continent. The colony, now self-reliant and truculent, sought to assert its dominance and overcome its lingering sense of provincialism.

Strategic imperative. Beyond mere curiosity, the exploration of the interior held significant strategic and economic promise. The dream of an inland sea persisted, but more practically, a telegraph line connecting Adelaide to the northern coast would drastically cut communication time with London from months to hours. The hunger for free, unused land for agriculture and grazing, especially for wool and wheat, also provided a powerful inducement for venturing into the unknown.

2. Burke's Flawed Leadership and the Expedition's Ill-Fated Start

Upon several counts the choice of Burke was a surprising decision. He knew nothing of exploration and he had no scientific qualifications of any kind.

Unconventional choice. The Royal Society of Victoria, driven by scientific ambition and inter-colonial rivalry with South Australia's explorer Stuart, appointed Robert O'Hara Burke as leader of the Victorian Exploring Expedition. Burke, an Irish police superintendent, was a charismatic but eccentric figure with no exploration experience, a "careless dare-devil" prone to impulsive decisions and temperamental outbursts, a stark contrast to the meticulous scientists and surveyors under his command.

Lavish preparations. The expedition was the most elaborate and best-equipped in Australian history, costing nearly £9,000 and comprising 19 men, 27 camels, 23 horses, and 21 tons of supplies, including:

• 19 Colt's revolvers, 10 double-barrelled guns, 8 rifles
• 95 sets of camel shoes, 4 dozen fishing lines
• 8 demi-johns of lime-juice (for scurvy), 60 gallons of rum (for camels)
  The public, eager for success in the "exploration race," pressured Burke to make haste.

Early discord and division. The journey from Melbourne to Menindie was plagued by issues: overloaded wagons, camel fights, and dismissals due to Burke's high-handedness. At Menindie, a crucial outpost, Burke's second-in-command, Landells, and the doctor, Beckler, resigned after a "blood row" over camel rations and Burke's erratic behavior. Against advice, Burke decided to split the party, pushing ahead with a small, lightly-laden advance group, leaving the bulk of supplies and men to follow under the temporary command of William Wright.

3. The Dash to the Gulf: A Triumph of Endurance, A Race Against Time

They had crossed the continent, they had done what they had set out to do.

Relentless push. Burke, Wills, King, and Gray, with six camels and one horse, embarked on their 700-mile dash to the Gulf of Carpentaria in midsummer, against all advice. They were a cohesive unit, with Wills meticulously charting their course and King managing the camels. Despite the mechanical monotony of walking through the vast, silent plains, they pressed on, often by night to avoid the intense heat, subsisting on meager rations supplemented by portulaca.

Reaching the goal. Wills's detailed diary entries, a stark contrast to Burke's sparse notes, chronicle their progress through varied terrain, from the "Stony Desert" to the more fertile Channel country. They crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, venturing further north than any previous explorer. On February 11, 1861, after 57 days, Burke and Wills reached the tidal waters of the Byno River, confirming the continent's crossing, though unable to see the open ocean.

The return begins. With their primary objective achieved, the immediate concern shifted to returning to the Cooper's Creek depot before their rapidly dwindling rations ran out. They had consumed over two-thirds of their supplies on the outward journey, leaving them with barely a month's worth for the 700-mile return. The animals, though exhausted, were their only means of transport, and the men, though weary, were determined to make it back.

4. The Depot's Abandonment: A Fateful Miscalculation

The date of the message was perhaps the most agonizing thing: Brahe and his men had left the depot that same morning.

Waiting at the depot. At Cooper's Creek, Brahe and his three companions—Patton, McDonough, and Dost Mahomet—maintained Depot LXV for over four months, building a stockade and fending off curious, sometimes pilfering, Aborigines. They followed a routine of tending animals, mending equipment, and fishing, but the oppressive heat and isolation led to a "creeping paralysis of a static routine." Brahe, lacking a diary, later admitted "nothing happened."

Scurvy strikes. As February turned to March, Patton's health rapidly deteriorated with symptoms of scurvy, followed by Brahe and McDonough. With Patton unable to walk and their own health failing, Brahe grew increasingly anxious about Burke's prolonged absence, which had exceeded the verbally agreed-upon three months. He also worried about dwindling provisions, needing enough to ensure their own return to Menindie.

The fateful departure. On April 21, 1861, Brahe made the agonizing decision to abandon the depot, leaving a cache of provisions and a note indicating their departure that very morning. Just nine hours later, Burke, Wills, and King, exhausted and starving from their return journey, arrived at the deserted camp. This agonizing near-miss, compounded by Brahe's decision not to leave a more detailed message or wait longer, sealed the fate of the returning explorers.

5. Wright's Crippling Delay: A Chain of Disasters

Mr. Wright has failed to give any satisfactory explanation of the causes of his delay; and to that delay are mainly attributable the whole of the disasters of the expedition, with the exception of the death of Gray.

Inaction at Menindie. William Wright, tasked with bringing the main stores from Menindie to Cooper's Creek, delayed for months, citing unconfirmed appointment, financial issues (dishonored cheques), and the need to rescue stranded troopers. This "fatal inactivity and idling" meant Burke's advance party was left without the crucial support they expected. Wright's excuses were later deemed unsatisfactory by the Royal Commission.

A disastrous march. When Wright finally set out in late January 1861, his party was ill-prepared and plagued by misfortune. They struggled through the summer heat, losing horses, and suffering from scurvy and bad water. Three men—Stone, Purcell, and the gifted naturalist Ludwig Becker—died from these conditions, highlighting the devastating consequences of the prolonged delay and poor management.

Missed opportunity. Wright and Brahe met at Bulloo on April 27, 1861, just days after Burke's party had arrived at the deserted Cooper's Creek depot. Despite Brahe's urging, Wright refused to return to the depot, believing Burke was lost and his own men too ill. Their subsequent brief visit to the depot on May 8, where they failed to notice Burke's fresh signs or dig up his buried letter, represented the final, tragic missed opportunity for rescue.

6. The Final Struggle: Starvation, Scurvy, and the Kindness of Strangers

Starvation on nardoo is by no means very unpleasant, but for the weakness one feels, for as far as appetite is concerned, it gives me the greatest satisfaction.

Desperate retreat. After finding the depot deserted, Burke, Wills, and King, too weak to follow Brahe, decided to head for Mount Hopeless, 150 miles southwest. Their last camel, Landa, became bogged and was shot, leaving them entirely on foot. They relied heavily on nardoo, a native fern seed, which, though filling, provided insufficient nourishment, leading to severe weakness and scurvy.

Wills's last stand. Wills, the most meticulous diarist, documented their agonizing decline, noting his own rapid deterioration and the "leg-tied feeling." He made a final, desperate journey back to the depot, finding it still deserted, and buried his journals and a poignant last letter to his father, expressing his belief that their deaths were due to "the mismanagement of others." He then returned to Burke and King, only to die shortly after.

King's survival. Burke, increasingly weak and distressed, died on June 28, 1861, after instructing King to leave him on the surface with his pistol. King, now alone, buried Burke and later Wills. He survived for two months by living with and being cared for by the local Aborigines, who shared their fish and nardoo, demonstrating remarkable compassion for the "white fellow" who was "one of themselves."

7. The Aftermath: Public Outcry, Royal Commission, and Lasting Legacy

The whole expedition appears to have been one prolonged blunder throughout; and it is to be hoped that the rescuing party may not be mismanaged and retarded in the same way as the unfortunate original expedition was.

Public reckoning. News of the tragedy sparked immense public outcry and a Royal Commission of inquiry in Melbourne. Dr. Wills, William Wills's father, relentlessly pursued accountability, publicly denouncing those he believed responsible for his son's death. The commission, after extensive testimony, delivered a balanced but critical report, attributing blame to Burke's injudicious decisions, Wright's reprehensible delay, and the Committee's serious errors.

Rescue and remembrance. Alfred Howitt, an experienced bushman, led the main rescue party, efficiently reaching Cooper's Creek and finding King alive. He then returned to disinter Burke's and Wills's bodies for a grand public funeral in Melbourne, a "tremendous affair" attended by thousands. Monuments were erected, and funds were raised for King and the families of the deceased, reflecting society's need to atone for the tragedy.

Unintended consequences. Despite its tragic outcome and mismanagement, the Burke and Wills expedition spurred further exploration and development of the Australian interior.

• Increased knowledge: Subsequent rescue parties (McKinlay, Landsborough, Walker, Stuart) rapidly filled in the "ghastly blank," confirming no inland sea but revealing vast grazing lands and mineral deposits.
• Infrastructure: The overland telegraph line (1870s) followed Stuart's route, connecting Australia to the world.
• Economic boom: Mining discoveries (Broken Hill, Mount Isa) along the explorers' routes generated immense wealth, dwarfing the expedition's cost.
• Social impact: The expedition highlighted the resilience of the Aborigines, though contact with white civilization ultimately led to their decline.

8. The Enduring Spirit of the Outback: A Land Both Hostile and Beautiful

It has the sea’s peace and the sea’s relentlessness.

A land of extremes. The Australian interior, particularly around Cooper's Creek, remains a place of profound contrasts:

• Climate: Overpowering heat by day, bitter cold by night.
• Water: Flash floods followed by long periods of aridity.
• Life: Teeming birdlife around waterholes, yet vast, silent, seemingly lifeless plains.
  This environment fosters a unique blend of peace and relentless challenge, shaping those who venture into it.

The Cooper's allure. Even today, retracing the explorers' steps reveals a landscape that is both beautiful and menacing. The "boomerang shape" of the waterholes, the "cacophony of parrots in silence," and the "immense sky" evoke the same sense of timelessness and isolation experienced by Burke and Wills. Yet, the land remains "basically inimical to man," causing ailments like Barcoo Rot and the "Dry Horrors" (nervous spasms from prolonged drunkenness).

A timeless legend. The Burke and Wills tragedy endures as a powerful Australian legend, embodying the early settlers' struggle against the wilderness. It speaks to the "final treachery" of being "let down" by a companion in the implacable bush, where all men are made equal by nature's indifference. The story, though tragic, inspired subsequent generations to conquer the interior, transforming the "ghastly blank" into a known, if still challenging, landscape.

Last updated: August 13, 2025