The ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition departed Royal Park Melbourne on 20 August 1860. After camping at Mia Mia, the party travelled through the Knowsley district and crossed what is today the O’Keefe Rail Trail alignment. From that point, the expedition party would travel further to set up their ‘Camp 8’ next to the Campaspe River, north of the now Axedale township.
Today, riders can pause just west of the quite Knowsley village, to reflect on this significant moment in Australian exploration history.
On the 24 February 2026, well-known cyclist and SBS television cycling commentator Michael Tomalaris was enjoying riding the O’Keefe Rail Trail, and shared his discovery of this historic location on social media.
In his Facebook post, Michael highlighted the many strengths of rail trails across Victoria, and spoke warmly of his ride from Heathcote to Bendigo at the point of the Burke and Wills interpretive sign near Knowsley. While perhaps his interpretation was a little too imaginative, as to how the expedition actually camped, Michael praised the high quality of this trail’s surface and the overall riding experiences on rail trails.
“One of the best in the state” stated Michael “…get out there, come to Victoria….get on it!“
You can view Michael’s full post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/171wKW1NuP/
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