Matthew Flinders - Sydney, Australia
S 33° 51.984 E 151° 12.759
56H E 334673 N 6251219
This bronze statue of Captain Matthew Flinders, who is depicted in full naval uniform clutching a raised sextant in his right hand, is located next to the Mitchell Wing of the State Library in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Waymark Code: WM5ZT1
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Date Posted: 03/08/2009
Views: 14
The inscription reads as follows:
MATTHEW FLINDERS
1774-1814
CAPTAIN in the ROYAL NAVY
He explored and successfully
charted a large portion
of the Australian Coast
during the years 1796
to 1803
Right behind Flinders' statue on the window ledge of the State library is a small statue of Flinders' cat Trim who was his trusted companion. A nearby plaque about Trim reads as follows: "TO THE MEMORY OF TRIM. The best and most illustrious of his race. The most affectionate of friends, faithful of servants, and best of creatures. He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia, which he circumnavigated, and was ever the delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers. Written by Matthew Flinders in memory of his cat
Memorial donated by the North Shore Historical Society."
From Wikipedia:
Captain Matthew Flinders, RN (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent. He survived shipwreck and disaster only to be imprisoned for violating the terms of his scientific passport by changing ships and carrying prohibited papers. He identified and corrected the effect upon compass readings of iron components and equipment on board wooden ships and he wrote what may be the seminal work on early Australian exploration A Voyage to Terra Australis.