Table of Contents
When was William Wills born?
January 5, 1834
William John Wills/Date of birth
William Wills, n.d. William John Wills (1834-1861), explorer, was born on 5 January 1834 at Totnes, Devon, England, son of Dr William Wills and his wife Sarah Mary Elizabeth, née Calley (Kelly).
When did William Wills die?
June 28, 1861
William John Wills/Date of death
Did William John Wills have a wife?
Wills bought a share in the Melbourne Gold Mining Company in 1852 and planned to migrate to Australia with his wife Sarah and sons William and Thomas.
How did Burke and Wills die?
Robert O’Hara Burke and his navigator William Wills are thought to have died of starvation and beri-beri several weeks after returning from the Gulf of Carpentaria to their deserted supply camp at Cooper’s Creek.
What is William John Wills famous for?
William John Wills (1834—1861) was an English surveyor. He was born in Totnes, Devon. He became one of the first explorers to cross Australia from the south to the north. The expedition became known as the Burke and Wills expedition.
What happened during the Burke and Wills expedition?
The Burke and Wills expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria in Australia in 1860–61. The expedition established a depot camp at the Cooper, and Burke, Wills and two other men pushed on to the north coast (although swampland stopped them from reaching the northern coastline).
Who was William John Wills and what did he do?
Lithograph of William John Wills. William John Wills (5 January 1834 – c.June/July 1861) was a British surveyor who also trained as a surgeon.
How did William John Wills die in South Australia?
While waiting for rescue Wills became exhausted and was unable to continue. He urged Burke and King to continue on, leaving him alone with food, water and shelter. Wills died alone at a place called Breerily Waterhole on Cooper Creek in South Australia. Burke died soon after.
Where did William John Wills go to school?
British surveyor and surgeon who was second-in-command of the Burke and Wills expedition, an ill-fated attempt to cross Australia from south to north. He was homeschooled by his father until the age of 11 and then went on to study at St. Andrew’s Grammar School, Ashburton.
When did William John Wills and Burke die?
While the exact date of their deaths is unknown, it is generally accepted to be 28 June 1861. King survived with the help of a group of Aborigines until being rescued in September by Alfred William Howitt, who buried Burke and Wills before returning to Melbourne.
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