The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/King, John
King, John, was born at Moy, co. Antrim, on Dec. 5th, 1838, and entered the army, serving in India in the 70th Regiment. He arrived in Australia in 1860, having been engaged by Mr. G. T. Landells, who was sent to India to purchase camels for the Burke and Wills Expedition. He accompanied these two unfortunate explorers throughout their fatal journey, and was the only survivor of the party of four which set forward for the Gulf of Carpentaria from Cooper's Creek on Dec. 16th, 1860. He was with Burke when he died, and would himself have perished but for finding a bag of "nardoo," sufficient to last him for a fortnight, in an abandoned native encampment He then returned to Cooper's Creek, and buried the body of Wills, who had been left behind. Subsequently he fell in with some friendly blacks, and was at length rescued by the relief expedition under Mr. Alfred Howitt. The Victorian Government gave him a pension of £180 per annum until his death, on Jan. 15th, 1872.