page_title: Burke and Wills expedition
section_title: HMCSS Victoria
hierarchical_section_title: Burke and Wills expedition / The Return to Cooper Creek / Rescue expeditions / HMCSS Victoria
caption_attribution_description: English: First warship owned by Victorian (Australia) colonial government (1856). Used as part of the search for the Burke and Wills expedition (1861-2)
context_page_description: The Burke and Wills expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria in Australia in 1860–61. It consisted of 19 men led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, with the objective of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the south, to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres. At that time most of the inland of Australia had not been explored by non-Indigenous people and was largely unknown to the European settlers.
  The expedition left Melbourne in winter. Very bad weather, poor roads and broken-down horse wagons meant they made slow progress at first. After dividing the party at Menindee on the Darling River Burke made good progress, reaching Cooper Creek at the beginning of summer. The expedition established a depot camp at the Cooper, and Burke, Wills and two other men pushed on to the north coast.
  The return journey was plagued by delays and monsoon rains, and when they reached the depot at Cooper Creek, they found it had been abandoned just hours earlier. Burke and Wills died on or about 30 June 1861. Several relief expeditions were sent out, all contributing new geographical findings.
context_section_description: On 4 August 1861 , the HMCSS Victoria under the Command of William Henry Norman sailed from Hobson's Bay in Victoria with orders to search the Gulf of Carpentaria.
  The Victorian Government also chartered the ship SS Firefly to assist with transportation. Firefly left Hobson’s Bay (Melbourne) on 29 July and arrived at Moreton Bay on 10 August 1861, the same day as HMCS Victoria. Firefly transported the Queensland party led by William Landsborough, and thirty horses. The two ships sailed for the Gulf of Carpentaria on 25 August 1861. The ships became separated in a storm on 1 September and Firefly hit a reef off Sir Charles Hardy's Islands. 
  The crew were able to free and save 26 of the horses by cutting a hole in the side of the ship.
  Victoria arrived shortly after. The Firefly was repaired and able to be towed by Victoria. They recommenced their journey on 22 September, arriving near Sweer Island and Albert River on 29 September where they rendezvoused with the brig Gratia and the schooner Native Lass, which had also been chartered by the Victorian government as support.
  Using the Victoria’s boats Firefly was manoeuvred up the Albert River some 20 miles to a suitable place to transfer the horses and stores to land.
caption: H.M. Colonial Steam-sloop "VICTORIA", 580 Tons, 150 Horse Power. State Library Victoria H6503
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