Biography

Wills was born at Totnes in the English county of Devon and came to Australia in 1863 with his father and brother. After working as a shepherd and assisting in his father's medical practice, he studied surveying and became an assistant to Professor Georg Neumayer at the magnetic and astronomical observatories in Melbourne. With this training and the patronage of Neumayer, who was one of the organisers of the Expedition, Wills was able to obtain the post of surveyor and astronomer. Wills became Burke's second-in-command. His seriousness, intelligence and self-discipline made him a perfect lieutenant for the exploring expedition whose purpose it was to cross the Australian continent from north to south. The party left Melbourne on August 20, 1860, and arrived at Cooper's Creek on November 11. This was the starting point of the journey north. On December 16, a dash was made for the far distant Gulf of Carpentaria. For all intents and purposes, the explorers' efforts were deemed successful. However, on their return to Coopers Creek, the man they had left in charge of their stores had vanished along with most of the stores. Burke was determined to make an effort to reach one of the South Australian stations. A start was made but lack of water compelled a return to Cooper's Creek. The unfortunate men were too feeble to make a fresh start and remained lonely and deserted, except for some friendly natives, who provided them with casual food. In a few days, Burke and Wills died from starvation about the same time. Their only surviving comrade, King, managed to subsist among the natives until rescued by a party sent out from Melbourne. Burke and Wills' bodies were found by Alfred Howitt and buried at Cooper Creek in 1861. Howitt went back to the Cooper in 1862, exhumed their remains and brought them to Melbourne where they were given a state funeral and re-buried in Melbourne General Cemetery in 1863. The cost of the original expedition and the subsequent searches was estimated at £57,000. However, the tragic story of Burke and Wills will always find honourable mention in the written histories of Australia. Wills was loyal to his leader even when he privately doubted the wisdom of some of Burke's decisions. As a scientist, he maintained his observations even when sheer survival had become the expedition's only goal. His final journal entries, notes and letters, written a few days before his death, display a complete lack of self-pity.