Burke and Wills Exploring Expedition, 1860-1861

SAFE/D 179 (Safe 1/405)

fonds

1860-1861

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs, Ephemera, Prints, Cartographic Materials

825447

Microfilm : CY 885, frames 1-434

0.11 metres of textual material (1 box) - manuscript - 37 x 43 cm

The Burke & Wills Exploratory Exhibtion left Melbourne on 20 August 1860 and made a stately progress through the settled districts to Swan Hill and Balranald and reached Menindee on the Darling at the beginning of October. Both Burke and Wills perished at Coopers Creek on the return journey in mid 1861.

Richard Nash was the Government Storekeeper at the time of the Burke and Wills Expedition and in that capacity acted as supplier of stores to the Expedition. He later became the Secretary for Railways.

Reference: Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/ (accessed June 16, 2008)

Several items contain the bookplate of `F. Hobill Cole MD’ who was a paediatrician. He collected Australian paintings and literature with a local collection of books on the discovery and exploration of Australasia. His paintings were sold by auction in 1923, believed to be a result of his development of Parkinson’s.

This collection of manuscript and pictorial material is comprised of lithograph, photographs, printed material, maps, correspondence, diaries and related documents, mainly concerning the Burke & Wills Expedition, 1860-61, belonging to Robert O’Hara Burke and Richard Nash.

Item 01: Portrait of Robert O’Hara Burke
Item 02: Portrait of Robert O’Hara Burke
Item 03: Portrait of William John Wills
Item 04: Portrait of John King
Item 05: Chart giving details of Burke and Will’s track from Cooper’s Creek to the Gulf of Carpentaria
Item 06: Photograph of A party of the Burke & Wills Expedition to Coopers Creek
Item 07: Letter from Webster to Burke recommending Thomas Tatlock to the Exploring Expedition
Item 08: Cheque No. 17461 drawn by Burke and signed on the Colonial Bank of Australasia, Castlemaine Victoria, 7th July 1860 for 74 pounds
Item 09: Bank notification from Bank of Australasia, Melbourne, to James Montgomery, Esquire
Item 10: Letter from Burke to Richard Nash regarding the 74 pound cheque
Item 11: Nash’s published letter regarding a pistol of Burke’s
Item 12: Alex Aitken’s published letter
Item 13: Letter from Burke to Nash regarding a cheque and stores
Item 14: Document in which Nash makes himself responsible to Montgomery for the payment of the sum of 74 pounds
Item 15: Note written by Burke to Nash regarding tents
Item 16: Document executed by Burke to Nash appointing Nash as his power of attorney
Item 17: Document executed by Burke to Nash instructing Nash to pay three pounds to Mr Payne
Item 18: Lock of hair
Item 19: Nardoo seeds
Item 20: Letter from Hugh Erskine Childers to Richard Nash, referring to Burke
Item 21: Letter from the Lord Chamberlain’s secretary, London, to Richard Nash, regarding the Burke and Wills Expedition
Item 22: Document showing Burke’s debts in details
Item 23: Document showing Burke’s debts in details, unsigned
Item 24: Receipt acknowledging Burke's salary
Item 25: Receipt to to Richard Nash for three pounds paid on behalf of Burke to Constable Bennett
Item 26: Promissory note for 5 pounds 10 shillings given to Edward Bell, Honourable Secretary of the Melbourne Club, by Burke
Item 27: Letter from Edward Bell, Honourable Secretary of the Melbourne Club, to Richard Nash regarding Burke's account
Item 28: Document detailing Burke’s account with the Melbourne Club
Item 29: Letter from Frederick C. Standish, Chief Commissioner of Police, to Richard Nash regarding Burke's mare
Item 30: Portrait (albumen photoprint) of Richard Nash, 1860
Item 31: Receipt top R. Nash for 1 selection at Wallan Wallan dated July 12th 1854
Item 32: Invitation card to opening of Geelong-Melbourne Railway dated Geelong June 8th 1857
Item 33: Horticultural Society of Victoria yearly ticket, dated 1857
Item 34: Series of fifteen original letters written and signed by leading citizen s of Melbourne supporting Nash in his application for vacant post of Government Storekeeper. One of the letters are written and signed by John Price, Superintendent
Item 35: Original letter to Nash notifying him of his appointment as Government Storekeeper, dated 16th Oct. 1857
Item 36: Receipt to Nash regarding Net fishing
Item 37: Original letter to Nash from Von Mueller, dated 27th May 1858
Item 38: Original document appointing Nash Secretary to the Department of Public Works and Railways, dated 19th Nov. 1860
Item 39: Original letter from Vincent Pyke to Nash re his appointment as Secretary for Railways, dated 19th Nov. 1860
Item 40: Route map of the Victorian Exploration Expedition from Bilbarka to depot on Cooper’s Creek
Item 41: Copy of despatches from Sir Henry Barkly and the other Colonial Governors on the subject of the Australian Exploring Expedition
Item 42: Review of the labours of several Explorers of Australia by T. Foster also the Narrative of W. John King, 1863
Item 43: The Burke & Wills expedition with portraits and biographical sketches, 1861
Item 44: Progress reports and final report of the Exploration Committee of the Royal Society of Victoria, 1857-1872
Item 45: Journal of Landsborough’s Expedition from Carpentaria in Search of Burke and Wills, 1862
Item 46: Petition to R. Nash from J.T. Roach
Item 47: Letter to R. Nash from C.B. Payne
Item 48: Admittance card for Mrs Nash to St Kilda Ball, 3 Oct. 1961
Item 49: Letter to R. Nash from H.H Kay
Item 50: Receipt to Nash from Sergt. Price of the St Kilda Company for 18pd/10/6
Item 51: Receipt to Nash from Sergt. Price of the St Kilda Company for 25pd
Item 52: Letter to Nash from Hugh Erskine Childers
Item 53: Van Zuilecom’s published letter regarding Nash’s suspension
Item 54: Letter to R. Nash from Col. Geo Dean Pitt regarding the St Kilda Company of Volunteers
Item 55: Nash’s Miner’s right, Otago New Zealand
Item 56: Two original documents assigning claims at the Hepburn Gully, N.Z. to R. Nash
Item 57: Letter to Nash from editor of the Clunes Gazette
Item 58: Bill for 21/ against R. Nash by Money, Wigram & Sons
Item 59: Original diary kept by Richard Nash in New Zealand
Item 60: Albumen photoprint of Burke & Wills statute

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Titles devised by cataloguer from Contents list.

A.H. Spencer, 86 Bourke St, Melbourne, label on inside front cover of case.

For further details of the contents in this collection see contents notes keep with the material
Digital order no:Album ID : 1055231

Burke and Wills: from Melbourne to myth - National Library of Australia (27 March - 2 June, 2002)