Australian VIP lined up for visit to honour hero explorer

By speacock2 steve peacock speacock@heraldexpress.co.uk

AUSTRALIA'S top man in the UK is coming to Totnes to help the town celebrate the life of a hero explorer who went Down Under and never came back.

The Australian High Commissioner is dropping into Totnes for lunch to help mark the 150th anniversary of the famous Burke and Wills expedition.

Totnes-born John Wills was part of the ill-fated expedition which set out 150 years ago to cross the interior of the Australian continent.

Although they made it across the huge continent both Wills and Burke died on the way back.

This year Australia is launching major celebrations to mark the expedition.

And Totnes is joining in with its own celebrations.

Totnes town councillor Pruw Boswell revealed that the London-based Australian High Commissioner, John Dauth, will be arriving in the town on August 20 which is the day the Aussie expedition set out from Melbourne a century-and-a-half ago.

He will be staying for a special Burke and Wills VIP lunch in Totnes Guildhall as well as unveiling plaques as part of the town celebrations.

Mrs Boswell said: "We are very delighted that he has chosen to honour in this way this special day, and I am sure that it will go a long way to strengthen relationships between our two countries."

Wills was born in Totnes and his family had a home on The Plains just a few yards away from the Wills Memorial which was set up a few years after the expedition disaster.

The son of a local doctor, Wills was educated at St Andrew's Grammar School in Ashburton.

Totnes has been liaising with the Melbourne-based Royal Society of Victoria over joint celebrations.

The Australians have already sent Totnes an Aussie flag to fly as part of the various events that are planned – which include exhibitions and visits to local schools.