Detail view

Burke and Wills Expedition 1948

Title
Burke and Wills Expedition 1948
Description
Inscr. 'Bourke [sic] & Wills expedition. 'I determined to go straight at the ranges, the poor camels, bleeding, sweating and groaning. So far the experiment has succeeded well. N 48'
Description
This painting is based on the doomed expedition of Robert O'Hara Burke, William Wills, John King and Charles Gray from Cooper's Creek to the Gulf of Carpentaria. A written source is 'Dig' by Frank Clune (Angus and Robertson, 1944). It is the first painting of the Burke and Wills expedition, completed in 1948, a year after Nolan finished his first series of Ned Kelly paintings in Melbourne. The inscription has been taken from the entry of 20 January 1861 in Burke's memorandum-book. 'I determined today to go straight at the ranges, and so far the experiment has succeeded well. The camels sweating and groaning but we gave them a hot bath in Turner's Creek, which seem to relieve them very much. At last though - the camels bleeding, sweating and groaning.
Creator
Nolan, Sidney
Subject
Robert O'Hara Burke
Subject
William Wills
Subject
Charles Gray
Subject
John King
Subject
Turner's Creek
Subject
explorers
Subject
expeditions
Format
text/html
Format
image/jpeg
Format
Ripolin on board 91.3 x 122.2 cm
Managed by
IsFormatOf item held at the Nolan Gallery
Collection or series
IsPartOf the Nolan Gallery's Foundation Collection
Trail
Burke and Wills trail
Trail
Year of the outback trail
Date or place
1948
Rights
Reproduction rights owned by the Nolan Gallery.
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