Page 6 - eMuse Vol.9 No.08

Nicolas Thomas Baudin

(17 February 1754 – 16 September 1803)
French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer

European Eyes on Terra Australis Incognita An impression of the famous meeting, “The Encounter” Matthew
Flinders (Above left inste) on the Investigator and Nicholas Baudin
There can be no doubt, Britain’s intention to established a pe- (Above right inset) on Le Geographe meet at Encounter Bay, South
nal colony at Botany Bay was to beat the rest of Europe to make Australia in 1802. Original painting: John Ford
any territorial claims which would allow them control of the Pa-
cific Ocean. At the end of the nineteenth century, there was good and Administrators of the National Museum of Natural History a
reason to believe Holland, Spain, Portugal and France all had their plan for a hydrographic-survey expedition to the South Seas, which
fingers in the pie. would include a search for fauna and flora that could be brought
French interests in Australia aren’t given much thought these back for cultivation in France.
days but back then they were for real. Remember the story of Jean The expedition would also have the aim of promoting the eco-
François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse sailing into Botany Bay in nomic and commercial interests of France in the regions to be
the L’Astrolabe and La Boussole? He was only marginally behind visited. The expedition would require two well-equipped ships,
Capt Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet. This wasn’t really a social which would carry a team of astronomers, naturalists and scientific
call. draughtsmen with Baudin as their over-all commander.
Then there was Bruni d’Entrecasteaux in the frigates, Recherche The first part of the voyage would be devoted to a thorough ex-
and Esperance, who mapped part of Australia’s coast in 1792 on his ploration of the coast of Chile and the collection of animal, bird and
unsuccessful attempt to learn the fate of Lapérouse. English navi- plant specimens suitable for acclimatization in France, followed by
gators used his detailed charts of Van Dieman’s Land (Tasmania) for a survey of the coasts from Peru to Mexico. The expedition would
years. Evidence of his visit is still found in some of the French place then continue into the Pacific Ocean, including a visit to Tahiti and
names around our coast, e.g., Point D’Entrecasteaux, Western Aus- the Society Islands, and would be completed with a survey of the
tralia and Bruny Island, Tasmania. yet unexplored south-west coast of New Holland (Australia).
The Frenchman to make the biggest contribution to exploration The French government decided to proceed with an expedition
of our coastline is obviously Nicolas Thomas Baudin in the ships confined to a survey of western and southern New Holland. On
Géographe and Naturaliste. It is disappointing that history has vir- the 19th October 1800 Baudin’s expedition left France with two
tually cast him aside and fails to give him the recognition due. ships, Géographe and Naturaliste and a suite of nine zoologists and
Baudin already had a distinguished career before his Australian botanists. With a stopover at Mauritius finally arrived in Australia
expedition. It started when he joined the merchant navy as an ap- in May 1801, and would explore and map the western coast and a
prentice (pilotin) at the age of 15. This was followed by a short part of the little-known southern coast of the continent.
career in French East India Company and then from the beginning
of 1778 he served with the rank of Second Lieutenant he served
upon the Lion.
By April that year, a change of ships and a shipwreck saw him
captured by the English and interned at Halifax, Canada. A month
later he escaped and was soon appointed captain of a transport
vessel the Amphitrite which was promptly sunk by the English.
Avoiding capture he was put in charge of another ship Revanche.
Fortunes of war seemed stacked against him. Once again he was
captured and imprisoned. This time at Jamaica. He was returned
to France in a prisoner exchange.
After a series of commissions and world wide conflicts with Eng-
lish blockades, particularly between Europe and the United States
of America, Baudin was in France in 1798. As suggested by the Min- Kangaroos from the artwork produced on the
istry of Marine, Baudin presented to the Assembly of Professors Buadin expedition c1800 - 1802.
6 eMuse August 2020