Part coloured general map of Australia showing county divisions with coastal areas and parts of New South Wales named. Notes on explorers and discoveries and some notes on natural features. Relief shown by hachures, spot heights and bathymetric soundings.

More of the west coast of Australia was gradually charted by the Dutch over many years during the 17^th century, and by William Dampier an English navigator also in the 17^th century; the southern part of Tasmania was charted by Abel Tasman in 1642-43 and the northern part of Australia in 1644 again by Tasman. The Englishman Captain James Cook charted the eastern coast of Australia in 1770. Several expeditions were sent out by the English and French Governments in the 18^th century, but did not add anything further to the unknown southern coast.

In the beginning of the 19^th century two expeditions sailed - one from France, and the other from England, with instructions to discover the unknown coastline. These expeditions were led by Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders and their discoveries account for both the French and English names on the South Australian coast. The full story of their voyages can be seen on the Encounter 2002 website.

Meanwhile Lieutenant James Grant had been sent out from England in the Lady Nelson, a specially designed vessel with sliding keels, for work in shallow coastal waters. On 3 December 1800 he approached the South Australian coast and named two capes - Northumberland and Banks, and further inland saw two mountains which he named Mount Schank after the designer of his ship, and Mount Gambier after Admiral Lord Gambier. Lieutenant Grant had discovered the first stretch of South Australian coast since the Dutchman Pieter Nuyts over 170 years before had charted the far west coast to near modern day Ceduna.

Arrowsmith, John, 1790-1873

Baudin, Nicolas, 1754-1803

Peron, Francois, 1775-1810

Freycinet, Louis de, 1779-1842

Flinders, Matthew, 1774-1814

Healey, John, 'Who invented "Australia"?', History SA: newsletter of the Historical Society of SA Inc., No. 163, November 2002, pp. 8-11 and No. 164, January 2003, pp. 12-16

Terra Australis to Australia edited by Glyndwr Williams and Alan Frost Melbourne: Oxford University Press in association with the Australian Academy of the Humanities, 1988

Ingleton, Geoffrey C. Matthew Flinders, navigator and chartmaker Guildford, Surrey: Genesis Publications in association with Hedley Australia, 1986

SA Memory Taking it to the edge: Flinders and Baudin

Encounter 1802-2002

Matthew Flinders Collection

Atlas of South Australia: Exploration. Maritime explorers

History of Australian exploration: Chronological summary