Burke & Wills is a 1985 Australian adventure film directed by Graeme Clifford, starring Jack Thompson and Nigel Havers. The film is based on the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition across Australia. The film follows Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills in their crossing of Australia's interior in 1860–1. The film's account of the story changes the expedition's ending by having the explorers actually reach the northern coast. This upbeat idea was vehemently criticised by Australian reviewers. The film was released a week after the similarly themed comedy Wills & Burke. Plot synopsis Irish explorer Robert O'Hara Burke (Thompson) and British scientist William John Wills (Havers), have set out to make the first maps of the interior region of the Australian continent in 1860. During their journey, they and their compatriots run low on food and suffer from heat exhaustion until there is only one survivor. Cast Jack Thompson as Robert O'Hara Burke Nigel Havers as William John Wills Greta Scacchi as Julia Matthews Matthew Fargher as John King Chris Haywood as Tom McDonagh Ralph Cotterill as Charley Gray Drew Forsythe as William Brahe Ron Blanchard as Bill Patton Monroe Reimers as Dost Mahomet Barry Hill as George Landells Hugh Keays-Byrne as Ambrose Kyte Roderick Williams as Bill Wright Arthur Dignam as Sir William Stawell Ken Goodlet as Doctor John Macadam Peter Collingwood as Doctor William Wills Edward Hepple as Ludwig Becker Susannah Harker as Bessie Wills Martin Redpath as Mayor of Melbourne Julia Hamilton as Mrs. Kyte Nick Carrafa as Edwin Welch John Gregg as Alfred Erwin Deryck Barnes as Tom Payne Les Foxcroft as Harry John Penman as Fat Kid Redmond Phillips as Commissioner May Mark Pegler as Journalist Mary Acres as Julia's Dresser David Bracks as Lawyer Lucy Bell as Kyte's Daughter Matthew Savage as Christopher Marsden Production Graeme Clifford was an Australian who had become a leading editor in Hollywood and had moved into directing. He was interested in making a film about the Burke and Wills expedition and in 1978 approached EMI Films, who had commissioned a script from Terence Rattigan based on the story. This did not work out so Clifford then hired a fellow Australian expatriate, Michael Thomas, to write a screenplay. Early financial assistance was provided by David Williams of Greater Union. Clifford then went to make his first feature, Frances and discovered that Greater Union's enthusiasm for the film had