OPENING NIGHT Tuesday 3 March 6pm to 8pm
On August 20, 1860, the largest expedition ever mounted departed Melbourne, setting out to become the first to cross the continent to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Led by a police officer from Castlemaine, mounted on his grey horse Billy, a crowd of thousands cheered as 24 camels and 19 mounted men — all donning red shirts — paraded through the city. Six wagons carried two years’ worth of supplies: salted meat, flour, and tea; enough guns for a war; firewood and barrels of rum for the camels’ welfare; together with an oak table, chandeliers, a Chinese gong, and, most importantly, an iron bath to relax in after a hard day’s ride. Twelve months later, only one man would survive to tell the legendary story of Burke and Wills expedition.
