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The following pages are a combination of:

Journal of Mr Walker from the day he left Macintosh's Station, on the Nogoa,
to that of his arrival at the Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria.
London, Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, Volume 33, 1863.
Journal of Frederick Walker, who led an expedition in 1861.
National Library of Australia, MS 23. 53 pages.
Acquired by the National Library in 1934 from descendants of Captain Hunter, of Rockhampton, who assisted Walker in fitting out the expedition.
[Frederick Walker] Journal 1861-1862.
State Library of Victoria, MS 9996.
Diary of [Walker's] return journey, 16 December 1861-25 January 1862.
State Library of Victoria, MS 13071, Boz 2088A/3c (Item 3), 15 pages.
Conclusion of Frederick Walker's journal, 25 January-29 April 1862.
State Library of Victoria, MS 13071, Box 2088A/3c (Item 4), 32 pages.
Argus, 11 November 1862: 7.
Argus, 6 June 1862: 7.
Sydney Morning Herald, 19 June 1862: 2.

Journal of Mr Walker from the day he left Macintosh's Station, on the Nogoa,
to that of his arrival at the Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria.

Walker's RGS Journal : September 1861 Walker's RGS Journal : October 1861 Walker's RGS Journal : November 1861 Walker's RGSJournal : December 1861

Exploration Despatches: Journal from Rockhampton to the Albert River, Gulf of Carpentaria.

Walker's Journal : September 1861 Walker's Journal : October 1861 Walker's Journal : November 1861 Walker's Journal : December 1861

Diary of Walker's return journey from the Albert River to Rockhampton

Walker's Journal : December 1861 Walker's Journal : January 1862 Walker's Journal : February 1862M Walker's Journal : March 1862 Walker's Journal : April 1862

Download Walkers' Journal

This book was originally digitised and made available on the internet by
Project Gutenberg, and the entire book can be downloaded as an e-text.

Download Journal as a zipped text file Download Journal as a .prc file for PDAs

Project Gutenberg has many other historical texts, including the journals of many of Australia's early explorers.

Provenance: A note from Burke & Wills Web.
The original diary was acquired by the National Library of Australia in April 1936 from descendants of Captain Hunter of Rockhampton who assisted in the fitting out of Walker's party in 1861.
It is held at NLA MS 23, Walker, Frederick, 1820?-1866, Journal 1861-1862, [manuscript]. Bib ID 2812971.

Tuesday, 10 April 1934, page 10.

Manuscript Journal
Search for Burke and Wills

Canberra, Monday.
The original manuscript journal of Frederick Walker, leader of one of the relief expeditions sent out in search of Burke and Wills in 1861, has just been secured by the National Library at Canberra. Apart from its sentimental interest, the journal provides definite and final evidence upon certain points, which, until now, have been in doubt.

The progress of Walker's party on the outward journey from Rockhampton to the Albert River, on the Gulf of Carpentaria, where he met Captain Norman, who had been sent out in the steamer Victoria to act as a depot for the relief expedition, has always been known: in fact Walker's own account of it in the form of a diary was published in the journal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1883.

His account of the return journey, which includes his futile efforts to trace Burke's tracks beyond his Camp 119, and what befell him on the difficult journey home. has not been available before. Historians have differed about the actual route followed, but this point is now decided. Walker followed his outward route back to Camp 36, near the source of the Norman River, then struck off on February 1, 1862, in the direction of Gregory's October 4 camp. He therefore reached the Burdekin River, down which he travelled until the station of Messrs. Woods and Robinson, near Strathalbyn, was reached on April 5, 1862.

Walker's account is full of interest. It states that he named Mt Barry after Sir Redmond Barry of Victoria, and Mount Picken after 'my old friend, Captain Samuel Picken, now, I believe, marine surveyor at Williamstown.'

The journal came to the National Library through the descendants of Captain hunter of Rockhampton, who assisted Walker in fitting out the expedition.

Walker's correspondance

ex4001-001, Copy of instructions to Frederick Walker. Dated Melbourne, 20 July, 1861. 13p. ms. Box 2088A/4a (1),
ex4001-002, Copy of instructions to Frederick Walker. Dated Melbourne, 20 July, 1861. 6p. ms. Box 2088A/4a (2),
ex4001-003, Draft of instructions to Frederick Walker. Dated Melbourne, 20 July, 1861. 7p. ms. Box 2088A/4a (3),
ex4001-004, Frederick Walker's Dispatch, Strathallyn, 29 April, 1862. 13p. ms. Box 2088A/3a (1),
ex4001-005, Frederick Walker's Dispatch, Bauhinia Downs, 12 October, 1862. 9p. ms. Box 2088A/3a (2)
ex4001-006, Frederick Walker's Dispatch, Bauhinia Downs, 12 October, 1862. 3p. ms. Box 2088A/3a (3)
ex4001-007, Frederick Walker's Dispatches, Bauhinia Downs, 18 January, 1863. 6p. ms. Box 2088A/3a (4)
ex4001-008, Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 13 July, 1861. Sydney. 7p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (1)
ex4001-009 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 26 July, 1861. Sydney. 11p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (2)
ex4001-010 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 30 July, 1861. 2p. ms. Including copy of letter to John
Jardie, 13 July, 1861. 7p. ms, and copy of Letter to Walker. 13 July 1861, 13p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (3)
ex4001-011 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 9 October 1861. 4p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (4)
ex4001-012 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 23 October, 1861. 7p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (5)
ex4001-013 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 15 October, 1861. 6p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (6)
ex4001-014 Capt. William Mayne Dispatches, Sydney, 16 November, 1861. 7p. ms Box 2088A/4b (7)
ex4001-015 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 27 November 1861 and letter to Moore Dillon, 25
November, 1861 and Dillon's reply, 26 November, 1861. 7p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (8)
ex4001-016 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 4 December, 1861. 4p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (9)
ex4001-017 Capt. William Mayne Dispatches, 6 December, 1861. 5p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (10)
ex4001-018 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 12 December, 1861. 3p. Box 2088A/4b (11)
ex4001-019 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, 29 April, 1862 and outstanding drafts. 8p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (12)
ex4001-020 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 30 May, 1862. 4p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (13)
ex4001-021 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 17 June, 1862. 3p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (14)
ex4001-022 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 7 July, 1862. 5p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (15)
ex4001-023 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 12 July 1862. 3p. ms Box 2088A/4b (16)
ex4001-024 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 16 and 26 August, 1862.4p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (17)
ex4001-025 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 26 August, 1862. 2p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (18)
ex4001-026 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 29 September, 1862. 3p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (19)
ex4001-027 Capt. William Mayne Dispatch, Sydney, 2 December, 1862. 7p. ms. Box 2088A/4b (20)
ex4001-028 Correspondence, Melbourne, 17 July, 1861 from Sir Henry Barkly to Sir George Bowen and
extracts from Bowne's acknowledgement, Brisbane, 9 July, 1861.11p. ms. Box 2088A/3b (1)
ex4001-029 Correspondence Sydney, 13 July, 1861 from M.N. Campbell to the Exploration Committee. 2p. ms. Box 2088A/3b (2)
ex4001-030 Correspondence, Sydney, 17 July, 1861 from M.N. Campbell to the Exploration Committee. 2p. ms. Box 2088A/3b (3)
ex4001-031 Correspondence, Sydney, 21 July 1861 from M.N. Campbell to the Exploration Committee. 2p. ms. Box 2088A/3b (4)
ex4001-032 Correspondence, 13 May 1862. 1p. ms. Box 2088A/3b (5)
ex4001-033 Correspondence, 19 May, 1862. 1p. ms. Box 2088A/3b (6)
ex4001-034 Frederick Walker's Expedition Vouchers, 25 July, 1861 - 21 February, 1863. 120p. ms. Box 2088A/5
ex4001-035 Copy of Frederick Walkers Journal from Rockhampton to the Albert River, Gulf of Carpantaria. 7 October - 7 December 1861. 31p. ms. Box 2088A/3c (1)
ex4001-036 Copy of Frederick Walkers Journal from Rockhampton to the Albert River, Gulf of Carpantaria. 7 October - 7 December 1861. 43p. ms. Box 2088A/3c (2)
ex4001-037 Journal of the return journey, 16 December, 1861 - 25 January, 1862. 15p. ms. Box 2088A/3c (3)
ex4001-038 "Conclusion of Frederick Walker's journal", 25 January - 29 April, 1862 and covering letter, Bauhinia Downs, 21 October, 1862. 32p. ms. Box 2088A/3c (4)

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