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Abstract

The Discovery.
It is a fact, often forgotten, that an interval of a
century and a half separated the discovery of the eastern
coast of Australia from that of her western shores. The
western coast was visited by the Dutch in the early part
of the 17th century. The discovery of Southern Tasmania belongs to
the old period—to the days of the Dutch East India
Company, and of Tasman's search for the Great South
Land—to the days when New Holland had an evil
reputation as the most forbidding and inhospitable
country on the face of the earth. The discovery of our
northern coast was one of the last of the modern epoch,
when English navigators had laid open to the world the
rich promise of the fertile lands of Eastern Australia,
A short sketch of the exploration of the Straits, and
particularly Port Dalrymple, although it may traverse
some ground already touched upon in former papers,
may prove of interest as an introduction to the story of
the settlement of Northern Tasmania and bring into due prominence the achievements
of two men, whose names should be held in honour by
every Tasmanian, as practically the discoverers of our
island home and the pioneers who opened it for English
colonisation. These two men were George Bass and
Matthew Flinders.
On the 3rd November, at two o'clock in the afternoon, Flinders saw with great
interest indications of an opening in the land, and bore
up for it.There appeared to be three arms or rivers discharging
themselves into this extensive basin, and, as evening was
coming on, the sloop was anchored near to the mouth of
the western arm. Flinders was greatly pleased with his
discovery, to which Governor Hunter gave the name of Port Dalrymple, in compliment to Alexander Dalrymple,
the well known Hydrograpber to the Admiralty.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Walker, James Backhouse
Keywords:	Royal Society of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land, VDL, Hobart Town, natural sciences, proceedings, records
Journal or Publication Title:	Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
ISSN:	0080-4703
Collections:	Royal Society Collection > Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Additional Information:	In 1843 the Horticultural and Botanical Society of Van Diemen's Land was founded and became the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science in 1844. In 1855 its name changed to Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science. In 1911 the name was shortened to Royal Society of Tasmania.
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