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When Burke and Wills set off in 1860, Burke had refused an offer
to have their 20 tons of gear sent by ship from Melbourne to Adelaide
and then up the Murray and Darling Rivers.
Burke, an ex Irish soldier and police officer, had a stubborn
temperament.
Instead they loaded six wagons, one of which broke down before it
left the Royal Park in Melbourne from whence they started.
By midnight on the first day they had only reached Essendon, a distance
of about 3km.
The equivalent of an EPIRB that they carried were some rockets and
a large Chinese gong.
Daresay in 1860, even Essendon would have been a good dark sky location.
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