AUSTRALIA 1860: THE ILL FATED BURKE & WILLS EXPEDITION

The Burke and Wills expedition, organized by the Royal Society of Victoria in 1860-61, aimed to cross Australia from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria, a journey of approximately 3250 kilometers. This was an epic undertaking, the first major European exploration of inland Australia, at a time when virtually nothing was known about it.

Led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, the expedition consisted of 19 men, 23 horses, 6 wagons, and 26 camels. Despite initial setbacks due to bad weather and equipment failures, the team made significant progress, ultimately establishing a depot at Cooper Creek. Burke, Wills, and two others pushed towards the northern coast but were unable to reach it due to swamplands.

On their return, they found the depot abandoned and, after a series of misfortunes including monsoon rains and exhaustion, Burke and Wills perished in June 1861. The expedition faced numerous challenges, including leadership disputes, insufficient supplies, and the harsh Australian outback. Despite these difficulties, the journey contributed valuable geographical and scientific knowledge about the Australian interior. Seven men died, but Irish soldier John King survived, making him the only member to cross the continent and return. The expedition's legacy includes insights into Australia's interior and highlighted the importance of better preparation and understanding of the environment.

The expedition was recorded as leaving Melbourne at “around 4 pm”. The inception chart shows multiple worrying features. The lord of the ascendant, Saturn, is about to be combust by conjunction with the Sun…the expeditioners did encounter temperatures exceeding 50oC on several occasions! Saturn is also in semi-square the Moon and in opposition to Chiron.

Venus, is ruler of the 10th house and hence represents the leaders of the expedition, Burke and Wills. It is weak in the 6th house of sickness, in close opposition to Mars, square the Moon (in T-square) and quintile Pluto. The MC itself is squaring the Nodes. A very unfortunate configuration, and a clear pointer to the sad end of the leaders.

Jupiter is at the Descendant in T-square with Pluto and the Ascendant. Mercury, ruler of the 9th house of long voyages, is conjunct Jupiter and thus involved in the T-square. It is also conjunct the fixed star Dubhe, traditionally a Mars-like influence. The Moon is applying square Mars. There were indeed several skirmishes with hostile Aborigines.

Uranus is sextile Jupiter/Mercury – the expedition was successful to the extent that it revealed much about inland Australia, in spite of the demise of its leaders.

The Part of Fortune is conjunct Neptune, consistent with what at the time were the mysterious circumstances about the disappearance of the leaders. It was eventually determined that their demise was due to poisoning from untreated nardoo sporocarps – a classic Neptunian effect.

The outcome of this undertaking would have been far better if a skilled Astrologer was involved in calculating a better inception and timing this major expedition.