On this day, 20 August 1860, the Burke and Wills Expedition set out from Melbourne on one of the most ambitious journeys in Australian exploration.
Led by Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Wills, the Victorian Exploring Expedition aimed to cross the continent from south to north. With camels, horses, wagons, and a huge support party, it was the largest expedition Australia had ever seen.
A bold departure that would become one of the nation’s most enduring stories of courage and hardship.
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