AustLit

19th-Century Australian Travel Writing

John Davis (1829-1885) was a member of the South Australian Burke Relief Expedition, which in 1861 went in search of Burke and Wills. Davis' manuscript, an account of the journey, was edited by William Westgarth (1815–1889). The book is prefaced by Westgarth's descriptions of recent Australian explorations undertaken John McDouall Stuart, Burke and Wills, and William Landsborough; and Davis' edited diary follows this introductory overview. The diary chronicled the journey from Adelaide through central and southern Australia, traversing the continent to the tropical north. It is written in a traditional exploration diary format, detailing the landscape, discoveries, camp life, the search for Burke and Wills, climate and geographical location, but is also coloured by personal anecdotes and dramatic illustrations of dangerous Australian wildlife.