William John Wills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William John Wills
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| Born | 5 January 1834 |
| Died | 28 June 1861 (aged 27) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Surveyor, explorer |
| Known for | Burke and Wills expedition |
William John Wills (born 5 January 1834, died around 28 June 1861) was a British explorer and surveyor. He is best known as the second-in-command of the famous, but tragic, Burke and Wills expedition. This journey was the first to cross Australia from south to north. The expedition aimed to find a path across the entire continent, from Victoria in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
William John Wills was born on 5 January 1834 in Totnes, a town in Devon, England. He was the second of seven children in his family.
When he was a young child, William got a fever. This illness made his speech slow and hesitant. His father taught him at home until he was 11 years old. From 1845 to 1850, he went to St Andrew's Grammar School in Ashburton. Later, he trained to be a surgeon with his father. He also studied chemistry in London in 1852.
William Wills was a cousin to Henry Thomas Dundas Le Vesconte. Henry was a British naval officer and explorer. He sadly died during the lost Franklin Expedition in the Arctic.
Moving to Australia
In 1852, William Wills decided to move to Australia. He bought a share in a gold mining company in Melbourne. He planned to go with his family. However, his wife did not want to leave London. So, William and his younger brother Thomas went to Australia alone.
They left England on 1 October 1852. They arrived in Melbourne on 3 January 1853. There were 197 other passengers on their ship. The brothers found a place to stay at the Immigrants Home in South Melbourne.
First Jobs in Australia
In February 1853, the Wills brothers found work as shepherds. They worked on a large farm near Deniliquin. They were paid £30 a year, plus food. They looked after a flock of 1300 rams.
Later that year, their father also came to Australia. The three of them moved to Ballarat. William John Wills worked as a gold digger there. In 1854, he helped his father as an assistant surgeon. He later opened his own office for gold business.
Becoming a Surveyor
In early 1855, William worked on a farm near Hamilton. He returned to Ballarat in April 1855. Towards the end of that year, he started to study surveying. Surveying is the job of measuring and mapping land.
He worked as a trainee at the Ballarat Survey Office. He spent months learning about math and how to measure land. In 1856, he started practical surveying work. He worked under the guidance of other surveyors. His salary increased as he gained more experience.
In August 1858, Wills moved to Melbourne. He got a temporary job at the Magnetic Observatory. This observatory studied Earth's magnetic field. In March 1859, he got a permanent job there. He worked under the director, Georg von Neumayer.
The Burke and Wills Expedition
In July 1860, William Wills was chosen for a very important journey. He became the third-in-command, surveyor, and observer for the Victorian Exploring Expedition. He earned £300 a year for this role. Robert O'Hara Burke was the leader of the expedition.
The expedition left Melbourne on 20 August 1860. There were 19 men, 27 camels, and 23 horses. They reached Menindee on 16 October 1860. Here, the second-in-command resigned after an argument. Wills was then promoted to second-in-command.
Journey to the North
Burke decided to split the expedition at Menindee. The main group reached Cooper Creek on 11 November 1860. They set up a supply camp there. The rest of the men were supposed to follow from Menindee.
After a short rest, Burke decided to make a quick trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria. He split the group again. Burke, Wills, John King, and Charley Gray left on 16 December 1860. They left William Brahe in charge of the camp at Cooper Creek.
On 9 February 1861, Burke, Wills, King, and Gray reached the mangroves near the Flinders River. This was close to the current town of Normanton. However, heavy rain and swamps meant they never saw the open ocean.
The Difficult Return
The journey back was very hard. The men were already weak from hunger and the tropical monsoon rains. Charley Gray died four days before the others reached the Cooper Creek camp.
Burke, Wills, and King arrived back at the Cooper Creek camp on 21 April 1861. They found that the men from Menindee had not arrived. Also, Brahe and the camp party had left just 9 hours earlier! Brahe had waited 18 weeks for them, which was longer than the 13 weeks Burke had agreed to. He had buried a note and some food under a tree. This tree is now known as the Dig Tree.
Burke, Wills, and King tried to reach Mount Hopeless. This was the closest settled area in South Australia. Wills thought going back to Menindee was better, but Burke chose Mount Hopeless. They failed to reach it and returned to Cooper Creek.
The Tragic End
William Wills became very tired and weak. He could not continue the journey. He told Burke and King to go on without him. They left him alone with some food, water, and shelter. He died alone at Breerily Waterhole on Cooper Creek. Burke also died soon after. The exact date of their deaths is not known, but it is believed to be 28 June 1861.
John King survived thanks to the help of a group of Aboriginal people. He was rescued in September by Alfred William Howitt. Howitt buried Burke and Wills before returning to Melbourne.
In 1862, Howitt went back to Cooper Creek. He dug up the bodies of Burke and Wills. They were taken to Adelaide and then by ship to Melbourne. Their bodies were displayed for two weeks. On 23 January 1863, Burke and Wills had a State Funeral. They were buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.
See also
In Spanish: William John Wills para niños
