Between 23 April and 28 June 1861, Wills documented the torments and disappointments that led to his and Burke's destruction. Surprising to many, though, Wills was not the second-in-command but, rather, the party's 'surveyor, astronomical and meteorological observer'. His entries would go on to help historians understand the circumstances that led to the tragic end of the expedition. Today, the diary is held by the National Library of Australia and forms the foundation of Starvation in a Land of Plenty.