Burke & Wills
“They dared to challenge the unknown. They were the first. They crossed the Australian continent from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.”
Synopsis
A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.
Top Cast
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Jack Thompson
Robert O'Hara Burke
Nigel Havers
William John Wills
Greta Scacchi
Julia Matthews
Matthew Fargher
John King
Ralph Cotterill
Charley Gray
Drew Forsythe
Brahe
Chris Haywood
Tom McDonagh
Monroe Reimers
Dost Mahomet
Ron Blanchard
Bill Patton
Barry Hill
George Landells
Hugh Keays-Byrne
Ambrose Kyte
Arthur Dignam
Sir William Stawell
Ken Goodlet
Doctor John Masadam
Edward Hepple
Ludwig Becker
Peter Collingwood
Doctor William Wills
Susannah Harker
Bessie Wills
Martin Redpath
Mayor of Melbourne
Julie Hamilton
Mrs. Kyte
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 11, 1987
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$9M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.18x
-$7.4M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Graeme Clifford
- Screenplay & Story
- Michael Thomas
- Original Score
- Peter Sculthorpe
- Original Title
- Burke & Wills
- Country of Origin
- Australia
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 20m
- Production Budget
- $9M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.6M
- Production Studios
- Hoyts Edgley, GUO
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Graeme Clifford
Michael Thomas
Peter Sculthorpe
Russell Boyd
Tim Wellburn
Greg Ricketson, Terry Jackman, Michael Edgley, Graeme Clifford, John Sexton
Department Leadership Roster
Michael Thomas
Writer
Russell Boyd
Director of Photography
Graeme Clifford
Producer
Graeme Clifford
Director
Peter Sculthorpe
Original Music Composer
Tim Wellburn
Editor
John Sexton
Producer
Ross Major
Production Design
George Liddle
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
International Certification Matrix
Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Burke & Wills.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Burke & Wills.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Burke & Wills
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Burke & Wills about?
A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.
Who directed Burke & Wills?
Burke & Wills was directed by Graeme Clifford.
Who stars in Burke & Wills?
The principal cast of Burke & Wills includes Jack Thompson, Nigel Havers, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Fargher, Ralph Cotterill.
When was Burke & Wills released and how long is it?
Burke & Wills was released in 1985 with a total runtime of 2h 20m.
What was the box office and production budget of Burke & Wills?
Burke & Wills had a reported production budget of $9M and grossed $1.6M at the worldwide box office (0.18 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Burke & Wills?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Burke & Wills was composed by Peter Sculthorpe.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Burke & Wills?
Burke & Wills holds official age classifications: AU: PG-13; CA: 14A; FR: PG-13; US: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned — May contain intense action, language, or mature themes.).