Firstly let me congratulate the producers of this liftout of its excellent content. I will be making sure that I collect each edition as it comes out.

My question if it can be answered is that I read in book 2 of Our Queensland states that Robert O'Hara Burke was an ex-officer in the Austrian calvalry. Was this statement simply a typo or is it really true? If it is, its definitely a revealation to me! I always thought he was at least British descent, judging by his Anglo-Celtic name anyway.

Gerhard Schacht

I don't know how Burke would feel about being described as British. He was born in St Clerans, County Galway, Ireland, in 1821. Among his varied military experience was a stint as an officer in a cavalry regiment of the Austrian army till 1848. — Ed