Artist Les Sprague tells us that although most of the Burke and Wills camels were imported from the Indian sub-continent, six camels had previously been owned by a Melbourne theatrical troupe. These camels had had parts in a play and perhaps this explains why their camels were particularly temperamental.

They had been purchased from the Victorian theatrical entrepreneur George Coppin who had used them in his exotic menagerie at Cremorne Gardens. For further information see Burke and Wills Web and Burke and Wills - Terra Incognita