Title: Return of Burke & Wills to Coopers Creek
Artist: Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902)
Engraver: James Charles Armytage (1802? or c.1820-1897)
Date: [ca. 1873]
Notes: This engraving of the return of Burke & Wills to Coopers Creek by James Charles Armytage, was taken from a drawing by Russian-born artist Nicholas Chevalier.
Burke and Wills Expedition (The Victorian Exploring Expedition)
On the 19th of October 1860, members of the Victorian Exploring Expedition left Menindee on the Darling River for the second stage of their charge across the country, Coopers Creek. Intended as a scientific expedition, it was, for Burke, a race with John McDouall Stuart to be the first to cross the continent.
Arguments in Menindee had led to the resignation of some members of the expedition who returned to Melbourne. Burke separated the remainder into two groups: those who would travel to Cooper Creek in an advance party, and those who would remain behind, as "back‐up". Burke took just a few of the camels, some horses and only a portion of the original quota of stores.
A new guide, William Wright, was recruited in Menindee and with his guidance, and that of two Aboriginal guides, Burke's expedition was able to make good progress and just ten days after leaving Menindee the group reached Torowoto Swamp.
Here Burke instructed Wright to return to Menindee to retrieve the remaining camels, wagons and stores, as well as new supplies of dried meat. The plan was for him to follow Burke to Cooper Creek, meeting up as Burke calculated, on November 15th.
Meanwhile, Burke hastened across the Queensland border, and reached the banks of Cooper Creek on November 11th, 1860.
However back in Menindee, without authorization of Wright's appointment from Melbourne, Wright's attempt to assemble the stores, wagons, horses and camels, and men was in vain. Abondoning this futile effort, Wright left Menindee with members of the party, carrying a message from Trooper Lyons regarding Stuart's progress toward the Gulf. They travelled only a little beyond Torowotto Swamp before lack of water forced them to a halt.
The alarm was raised by an Aboriginal guide who staggered back to the Menindee camp, and a rescue mission was planning. Finally, on January 9th 1861 Wright received authorization for his supply trip to Cooper Creek, but it was not until January 26th that he was finally underway.
Burke, meanwhile, had made his own plans. Deciding not to wait until the cooler months, or even for Wright and the back up stores and equipment, he departed for the Gulf of Carpenteria on December 16th. He was accompanied only by Wills, King, and Gray. Burke left Brahe in charge at Cooper Creek with instructions to wait at least three months. Wills asked him to hold on for four months.
Travel from Cooper Creek toward the Gulf of Carpenteria was not exceptionally difficult. Recent rains meant that there were adequate water supplies and feed for the horses and camels. On February 9th 1861 they reached Little Bynoe River but were unable to reach the coast because of the mangrove swamps. Burke and Wills then trudged the last 24 km before retreating. They had taken fifty nine days to travel the distance from Cooper Creek, but had supplies left for just twenty seven more.
On the return journey the wet season broke and travel was very difficult. One camel was abandoned, three more, and their only horse were shot for food. They were forced to eat native plants, and even a python to supplement supplies.
Gray, ill died on April 17th. A day of rest followed his burial. On April 21st 1860 the remaining members of the expedition staggered into the camp on Cooper Creek. It was abandoned. A cache of supplies was found beneath a coolibah tree carved with the words "DIG 3ft. NW ". A letter from Brahe buried with the supplies indicated that he had left just that morning.
Too weak to follow, Burke, Wills and King stayed at Cooper Creek to recuperate. Later, Wills and King wanted to follow Brahe. Burke decided that they should head toward the pastoral settlement of Mount Hopeless, in South Australia, a journey that would necessitate following the creek downstream before crossing the Strzelecki Desert. Leaving no indication that they had even returned from the Gulf, they headed off on April 23rd.
Whilst returning to Menindee Brahe met up with Wright, and the two decided to return to Cooper Creek. By the time they arrived, Burke, and Wills were more than 50 km away. There was no indication that Burke had even been back at Cooper Creek, and Brahe and Wright left to rejoin the main party and head back to Menindee. Four men, including the expedition's doctor, Becker, died in the attempt to reach safety.
Now Burke, Wills and King were in desperate trouble. The remaining two camels died. Without pack‐animals they were unable to carry water for the trek to Mt Hopeless. With few stores remaining they accepted offers of native food from local Aboriginal tribes who were, up until this time friendly. Had Burke not fired his pistol at one of the Aboriginal men this situation may have continue. Instead, frightened by the shot, the tribe fled. By the end of June, Burke and Wills had both perished. King, finding some friendly aborigines who were willing to supply him with food, survived and was discovered by a rescue party led by Howitt on September 11, 1861.
Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier was born on 9 May, 1828, in St Petersburg, Russia, the son of Swiss born Louis Chevealier, overseer to the estates of the Prince de Wittgenstein in Russia, and a Russian mother, Tatiana Onofriewna. Nicholas left Russia with his father in 1845, and studied painting and architecture in Lausanne, Switzerland and Munich, Germany. He became an illustrator in watercolours and lithography after moving to London in 1851. Two of his paintings were hung in the Royal Academy in 1852. He then studied painting in Rome before before returning to London.
In late 1854 Chevalier sailed from London to Australia on board the 'Swallow' to join his father and brother, who was manager of the vineyards at Bontharambo on the Ovens River in Victoria. He arrived in Melbourne on 25 December and in August 1855 he obtained work as a cartoonist on the newly established Melbourne Punch. Later he did illustrative work for the Illustrated Australian News and also worked in chromo-lithography.
On 5 March 1857 Nicholas Chevalier married Caroline Wilkie, at the Congregational Church, Brunswick Street, Melbourne. Caroline was also an artist, the daughter of Frederick Wilkie (artist) and Sarah Drew. She was also related to the Scottish artist, David Wilkie.
In 1864, when the National Gallery of Victoria was founded, an exhibition of works by Victorian artists was held. Considered to be the best picture exhibited, Nicholas Chevalier's painting The Buffalo Ranges was purchased for £200. by the government for the National Gallery of Victoria. It was the first picture painted in Australia to be included in the Melbourne collection.
In 1865 Chevalier visited New Zealand, travelling widely and doing much work there which was exhibited at Melbourne on his return. In 1869 he joined HMS Galatea as an artist with the Duke of Edinburgh, on the voyage to the East and back to London with stops in Tahiti, Hawaii, Japan, China, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and India. The pictures painted during the voyage were exhibited at South Kensington.
In January 1874 Chevalier was commissioned by Queen Victoria to travel to St Petersburg and paint a picture of the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh. Chevalier made London his headquarters and was a constant exhibitor at the Academy from 1871 to 1887. He had one picture in the 1895 Academy but had practically given up painting by then.
Nicholas Chevalier died in London on 15 March 1902.
Provenance: "Australia" vol. II, 1873; Edwin Carton Booth F.R.C.I. with drawings by (John) Skinner Prout, N. (Nicholas) Chevalier, &c. &c.
Author: Edwin Carton Booth
Contributor: John Skinner Prout (1805-1876)
Contributor: Nicholas Chevalier (1828-1902)
Date of Publication: 1873
Volume: II
Publisher: Virtue & Co
Place of Publishing: London
Copyright status: This work is out of copyright
Courtesy: The British Library
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