Drought

1
Explorers
2
Australian Landform Map
3
Climate

• From the beginning difficulties with adapting to
  new climate.
• Drought and lack of water always a threat.
• Hard for those exploring the country.
• Those knowledgeable not always on friendly terms.
• Isolation was a great teacher.

4
Major Explorers

• Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson
• Wealthy land owners
• Found way across Blue Mountains, 1813
• Six previous expeditions failed

5
Major Explorers

• George Bass (1771-1803?)
• Circumnavigated Australia 1797 with Matthew
  Flinders
• Proved Tasmania was an island 1798
• Disappeared enroute to South America 1803

6
Major Explorers

• Robert Ohara Burke was one such explorer.
• Born in Ireland in 1821 and died in Australia
  1861
• Explored parts of Australia with Englishman
  William John Wills.

7
Burkes Exploration

• Burke and Wills sent by Victorian Government to
  travel from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

8
Supplies

• They took enough food for 2 years.
• 6 tonnes of firewood
• 28 horses and wagons
• 24 camels
• 80 pairs of shoes
• 20 camp beds
• 30 cabbage tree hats

9
Supplies

• 57 buckets
• Preserved fruit and vegetables
• Brandy
• Firearms
• Beads to be used as gifts for the Aborigines

10
Problems

• Knowledge of land over which they would travel
  some believed there was a huge inland sea.
• Burke a bad leader he was irascible, and a poor
  bushman.
• He was impatient leaving supplies behind in
  order to travel faster.
• Warned not to travel until after the middle of
  summer, but ignored advice.

11
Journey

• Began journey October, 1860
• Reached Coopers Creek in November set up camp and
  left man to wait for other supplies
• 16 December took 12 weeks of supplies and made
  dash to Gulf country

12
Journey

• Endured thunder storms, incredible heat and wet
  boggy conditions.
• Reached Gulf in February 1861.
• The first exploration to travel from the far
  south of the country to the far north.
• They returned enduring similar hardships and a
  dwindling food supply.
• Burke gave one of exploration crew a severe
  beating for stealing food he later died.

13
A terrible fate

• They returned to Coopers Creek 21 April.
• The depot was deserted.
• Those left in charge had gone to meet supply
  wagon.
• Burke made a dash for a cattle station 240 km
  away, but returned because of a lack of food.
• Survived on what little a friendly Aboriginal
  tribe gave them but would not follow them to
  fresh water supply.
• Inevitably they died