Item #112770 'Burke's Grave, Innamincka'. A vintage sepia-toned gelatin silver photograph (image size 208 × 278 mm) on the original printed card mount (230 × 285 mm). Burke, Wills Expedition.

'Burke's Grave, Innamincka'. A vintage sepia-toned gelatin silver photograph (image size 208 × 278 mm) on the original printed card mount (230 × 285 mm)

Mount trimmed flush with the photograph along the right-hand edge; both image and mount are slightly cockled along the bottom margin; minimal loss of surface to a few spots in the foliage in the top right-hand corner; a few insignificant marks visible at a raking angle, but overall in very good condition.

This is an example of the first recorded photograph of the tree under which Alfred Howitt buried the remains of Robert O'Hara Burke. It was taken by Emanuel Spiller, South Australian Government Photographer, in 1887 (State Library of Victoria Burke and Wills Research Gateway). Howitt's blaze 'R O'H B | 21/9/61 | AH' is clearly visible at the foot of the trunk, as is McKinlay's later blaze 'MK' above it. The catalogue record for an example of this image held by the State Library of Victoria (H5101) identifies the two figures in the image: 'on left, Alfred Walker (manager of Innamincka Station), who had the picture taken, on right, Mr Kenney (book keeper of Innamincka station)'. Howitt returned to the site in 1862 and removed Burke's remains to Melbourne for a state funeral and reburial.

Item #112770

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