Robert O'Hara Burke | |
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![]() Robert O'Hara Burke
(painted by William Strutt) | |
Born | St Clerans, Craughwell, County Galway, Ireland | 6 May 1821
Died | 28 June 1861 Cooper Creek, South Australia, Australia | (aged 40)
Nationality | Irish |
Occupation(s) | Soldier, police officer, explorer |
Years active | 1841−1861 |
Known for | Death after leading the Burke and Wills expedition |
Robert O'Hara Burke (6 May 1821 – c. 28 June 1861) was an Irish soldier and police officer who achieved fame as an Australian explorer. He was the leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from south to north, finding a route across the continent from the settled areas of Victoria to the Gulf of Carpentaria. The expedition party was well equipped, but Burke was not experienced in bushcraft. A Commission of Inquiry held by the Government of Victoria to investigate the failure of the expedition was a censure of Burke's judgement.[1]
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