Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents:
Introduction -- William Wills -- Background of the Expedition -- Key Members of the Expedition -- Melbourne to Menindee -- Menindee to the Depot -- the Race to the Gulf -- from the Gulf to Silence -- from the Depot Down the Cooper -- Learning from the Yandruwandha -- Brahe & Wright in Search of Burke & Wills -- from Strzelecki Creek to Nowhere -- Starvation & Death in a Land of Plenty -- the Search Party -- the Aftermath -- Endnotes -- List of Illustrations -- Index.

Between 23 April and 28 June 1861, Wills documented the torments and disappointments that led to his and Burke's destruction. Surprising to many, though, Wills was not the second-in-command but, rather, the party's 'surveyor, astronomical and meteorological observer'. His entries would go on to help historians understand the circumstances that led to the tragic end of the expedition. Today, the diary is held by the National Library of Australia and forms the foundation of Starvation in a Land of Plenty.