Ten years it took to agree on fifty-one words. That’s the story of the inscription on the Burke and Wills Memorial Stone right here in Melbourne’s General Cemetery. This isn’t just any monument. It marks the final resting place of two explorers Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Wills. They were the first to cross the Australian continent. Their ill-fated journey ended tragically at Cooper’s Creek in June 1861.
The Burke and Wills Memorial Stone is a massive granite block. It’s twelve feet high and six feet square. Weighing a staggering 36 tons it’s a testament to the scale of their ambition. This granite behemoth was quarried at Harcourt. It was the largest block ever quarried in Victoria. Imagine the effort required to transport it to the cemetery. It took 250 men and 40 horses two days to move it from the Spencer Street railway station.
News of Burke and Wills’ deaths reached Melbourne on November 2 1861. It caused a sensation overshadowing even the first Melbourne Cup. The Victorian government immediately planned a memorial. John O’Shanassy proposed a public funeral and a suitable memorial. The government fully supported the idea. The Exploration Committee decided to bring Burke and Wills’ remains to Melbourne for the funeral.
The funeral itself was a grand affair. It took place on January 21 1863. The procession was massive. Dignitaries like the Chief Justice Sir William Stawell served as pallbearers. The Dean of Melbourne Reverend Hussey Burgh Macartney led the burial service. The vault was closed with three shots fired into the air. Even Nurse Dougherty who entered the vault was only removed with some difficulty.
The initial design for the grave was simple. The Exploration Committee later commissioned Huxley and Parker to create the magnificent granite monument we see today. The government initially refused to pay. Thomas Embling raised the issue in parliament. The government eventually covered the costs in 1869. The inscription itself was a source of much debate. Many suggestions were put forward before a final version was chosen in 1873. The Burke and Wills Memorial Stone stands as a poignant reminder of their bravery and the ultimate price they paid in exploring the Australian continent. A story etched in stone.