But setting out to retrace their steps 150 years on, Matthew King hopes his expert knowledge will help preserve some of the lesser-known tales of the journey.

When he studied field notes from the iconic crossing of Australia, Mr King could not have imagined he would one day make the same journey himself.

But armed with his expert knowledge of Aboriginal communities and plant life in the Coopers Creek area -where the pioneering explorers perished on their return trip - Mr King's experience was vastly different to that of the original expedition.

"I loved it," he said of the outback adventure.

The water treatment operations officer for Wannon Water was selected to join a group of environmental scientists on the expedition, led by historian Jonathan King, to mark the milestone.

The expedition left Melbourne on Friday, August 20, and passes through Bendigo, Kerang, Swan Hill, Balranald, Menindee, Tibooburra, Birdsville, Boulia, Cloncurry and the Gulf of Carpentaria before finishing in February next year.

The expedition involves a range of experts, indigenous and environmental scientists specialising in different issues who will be looking for environmental problems along the journey, working with indigenous communities to undertake environmental audits and recording environmental impacts on water quality and allocations.

But for Mr King it was also an opportunity to catch up with old friend and Wonkamara elder Malcolm Ebsworth.

"It was great to see him again," Mr King said.

Mr Ebsworth is a descendent of one of the Aboriginal women who helped nurse John King, the only explorer who survived the original expedition, back to health.

Mr Ebsworth and his ancestor's story will form part of a documentary being filmed as part of the anniversary expedition.

" It's not something that would have been known otherwise," Mr King said.

"It's even more important now that people who know these stories are getting old and passing on so getting the message across though documentaries like this is important."

Mr King said he also hoped the documentary would help give young indigenous people a connection to the Burke and Wills story.

While on the five-week journey, from the end of September for the Coopers Creek to Birdsville leg, Mr King said he gained valuable insight into water management which he hoped to bring back to his work in Warrnambool.