A journey marked by tragedy

The expedition set out from Melbourne on 20 August 1860, aiming to reach the Gulf of Carpentaria and return. Of the original 19 men, only four—including Robert Burke, William Wills and Charles Gray—made it to the Gulf. The return journey, however, proved fatal for most. Only one man, John King, survived.

Burke and Wills both died of starvation on the banks of Cooper’s Creek. Historians generally agree that Burke’s lack of bush knowledge and poor leadership contributed to the expedition’s failure. Wills, by contrast, was a skilled bushman, surveyor and astronomer.

King survived with the help of local Aboriginal people. A search party eventually found him, and he led them to the bodies of Burke and Wills. Their deaths deeply affected the public, and both men were given a state funeral in Melbourne. A Royal Commission was later held to investigate what went wrong.

Diaries and records held by the Library

The National Library of Australia holds key documents from the expedition. In 1909, the Library acquired the diary of William Wills (kept from 23 April to 28 June 1861) and the diary of Robert Burke (kept from 16 December 1860 to 20 January 1861). In 1936, the Library acquired a journal and other papers belonging to John King.

These journals—along with letters, newspaper reports of Burke and Wills’ deaths, and an account of their funeral—form part of the Library’s Manuscript Collection (MS 30). Their combined value is now estimated at several hundred thousand dollars.

Wills' final diary

Wills’ diary was written in a surveyor’s field notebook. It contains detailed meteorological and astronomical observations, as well as a list of Aboriginal words. It also documents the final leg of the journey, as Wills, Burke and King attempted to reach Adelaide from Cooper’s Creek.

The last entry in the diary is dated 26 June, although by then Wills was severely ill and confused about dates. He also wrote a letter to his father dated 27 June. It is believed he died shortly after, with Burke dying two days later. Wills’ final writings were among the most important pieces of evidence considered by the Royal Commission.

Learning activities

These activities use William Wills’ diary and related historical materials to explore the Burke and Wills expedition, the role of Indigenous knowledge, and the importance of primary sources.