Home » Shop » 2010 Australia Post FDC -150th Anniv. of Burke and Wills

2010 Australia Post FDC -150th Anniv. of Burke and Wills

$5.95 AUD

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SKU: FDC34BURKEWILLS-6H Category:
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This special stamp issue celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Burke and Wills expedition which was the first South to North crossing of the Australian continent.

The ill fated Burke and Wills expedition left Melbourne on 20th August 1860, for the Gulf of Carpentaria.

These intrepid explorers were hoping to be the first Europeans to cross the Australian continent from the south to the north. This they achieved but the return journey ultimately ended in tragedy. Never the less the heroic efforts of these 2 men and their party was to become a part of Australian folklore and the history that built our country.

This envelope has a small mark on the lower left front but is otherwise perfect.

SKU

Design

Issue date: 3 August 2010

Stamp Denominations: 2 x 60c and 2 x $1.20

Stamp size: 37.5mm x 26mm

National postmark: Parkville, VIC 3052

History

In 1860-61 Robert O’Hara Burke, and William John Wills led an expedition of 19 men with the intention of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres (approximately 2,000 miles). At that time most of the inland of Australia had not been explored by non-indigenous people and was completely unknown to the European settlers.The south-north leg was successfully completed (except they were stopped by swampland 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the northern coastline) but owing to poor leadership and bad luck, both of the expedition’s leaders died on the return journey. Altogether, seven men lost their lives, and only one man, John King, travelled the entire expedition and returned alive to Melbourne

*All historical information taken from Wikipedia for educational purposes only.

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