author
William John Wills
1834–1861
Best known as the surveyor and second-in-command of the Burke and Wills expedition, he helped lead the first crossing of Australia from south to north. His skill, endurance, and tragic death on the return journey made him one of the most remembered figures in Australian exploration.
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About the author
Born in Totnes, Devon, on January 5, 1834, William John Wills trained in surveying and also studied medicine before emigrating to Australia as a young man. In Victoria he worked as a surveyor and gained a reputation for careful scientific observation, practical ability, and determination in difficult conditions.
Wills is most closely linked with the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860–1861, where he served as surveyor, astronomer, and second-in-command. The expedition became the first to cross the Australian continent from south to north, but it was also marked by severe planning problems, harsh conditions, and devastating loss.
On the return journey, Wills died near Cooper Creek in 1861, only a short time before help arrived. His journals and field records helped shape his legacy, showing him not just as an explorer, but as a disciplined observer whose work remains part of the story of nineteenth-century exploration in Australia.