In 1861 Robert O’Hara Burke from Craughwell, Co Galway, made history by becoming the first white man to cross Australia. In a major new series, TG4 will re-tell and retrace Burke’s epic journey.
Craiceann Geal, Croí Marbh starts this Sunday on TG4 at 9.30pm. It is a four part series filmed in high definition and presented by mountaineer and writer Dermot Somers.
In the programme, Somers will travel the island-continent of Australia retracing Burke’s extraordinary exploration and journey. It was shot over three months in Australia and follows Burke’s entire journey from coast to coast.
Robert O’Hara Burke was the first white man to cross Australia from coast to coast. He was the leader of the largest land expedition Australia had ever seen and the story of its adventures is both enthralling and scarifying.
Although successful in crossing Australia, Burke was critically late getting back to his supply camp in the centre of the continent. He had instructed his companions there to wait three months for him and if he hadn’t returned from his 1,500 mile round trip by then, they should presume him dead and head for home.
They waited the three months for Burke and then hung on for a whole extra month before finally giving up hope. On the morning of April 21 1861 they abandoned camp and headed south.
Just nine hours later a terminally exhausted Burke - with his two surviving companions - stumbled into the camp to find it deserted. Emergency supplies were not enough to save them and Burke died of starvation two months later in the arms of fellow Irishman John King.
