Matthew Flinders Essay Example

the Investigator, a converted collier, Matthew found time to rekindle his friendship with Ann Chappelle. They fell in love and got married, but Ann was not allowed to join the voyage due to restrictions set by the Admiralty. Matthew set off on a lengthy trip from England and began exploring the southern coast of New Holland, which became the first close circumnavigation of Australia, also known as the 'island continent'. One of their tragedies occurred at Cape Catastrophe where the expedition lost its ship's boat and eight sailors including his associate, John Thistle. There were more dramatic moments while passing through the Great Barrier Reef, in the Gulf of Carpentaria during hostilities with aborigines, and when inspecting the ship's deteriorating hull in the north. After reprovisioning at Timor, a growing number of crew developed dysentery, causing Flinders to abandon the rest of his survey and quickly return to Port Jackson with a heavy heart. As a passenger aboard the Porpoise back to England with charts and journals to organize another vessel to replace the Investigator, Flinders ended up getting shipwrecked on a coral reef on the east of the Queensland coast. On his next attempt to return home with the Cumberland, he was detained by the French on Mauritius.

Matthew Flinders suffered from declining health due to the combination of long imprisonment and harsh sea conditions, though some writers refute this claim. Upon his return to England, he received a promotion but failed to gain recognition for his accomplishments. After being away for years, he and his wife Ann were reunited and had a daughter named Anne. Unfortunately, Matthew Flinders died on July 19, 1814,

in London, after falling into a coma caused by his illness. His wife and daughter struggled financially until the governments of NSW and Victorian colonies offered them financial assistance. Ann had already passed away, but their daughter Anne used the money to bring up and educate their grandson, William Matthew Flinders Petrie. It was crucial for Matthew Flinders to map Australia's coastline accurately. He prioritized filling in the gaps on existing charts and was the first person to explore the extensive southern coast. Flinders first traveled to Port Jackson in 1795 as a midshipman aboard HMS Reliance, with the newly appointed Governor of New South Wales Captain John Hunter. In March 1800, Flinders rejoined Reliance and went back to England.Flinders conducted a survey of the southern coast of Australia after reaching Cape Leeuwin on December 6, 1801. On April 8, 1802, while sailing east, Flinders spotted the G©ographe, a French corvette led by explorer Nicolas Baudin. The two scientists met at Encounter Bay, where they exchanged information about their findings. Continuing along the coast, Flinders explored Port Phillip, unaware that it had been discovered just 10 weeks prior by John Murray on the Lady Nelson. Running low on supplies, Flinders headed to Sydney and arrived on May 9, 1802. After preparing the ship, he set sail again on July 22, surveying the coast of Queensland and exploring the Gulf of Carpentaria. The ship began to leak and was deemed unseaworthy upon arriving in Sydney on June 9, 1803. Despite careening attempts en route to Sydney's western coast, Flinders completed the continent's circumnavigation. The Investigator was condemned due to its condition.