2010 150th Anniversary - Burke and Wills Expidition 2 Coin Proof Set

During 1860 and 1861 Robert O'Hara Burke and Willian John Wills lead an expedition of 19 men with the purpose of crossing Australia from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria - a distance of some 2800 kilometres.

To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of this epic journey, the Royal Australian Mint along with The Royal Society of Victoria, have released this stunning two coin set.

The $1 coin spotlights the hardships endured by the Burke and Wills expedition team. Here we see the weary remaining sole survivor of the expedition resting under the iconic carved dig tree on Cooper’s Creek in southwest Queensland. The 20 cent coin design depicts Burke and Wills astride camel and horse, departing on their epic journey.

The camel tracks represent their south to north travelling route, while the footprints narrate the aid of the Aboriginal people, as well as the Indian, Afghan and Pakistani cameleers. The lustrous proof finish shows off the criss-crossing footprints of humans and camels, representative of the pioneers incredibly arduous journey.