Matthew Flinders, 1774-1814, was amongst the most accomplished navigators and chartmakers of any age. In 1798 he sailed south from Sydney in the sloop Norfolk, passed through Bass Strait and circumnavigated Van Diemens Land (Tasmania), thus proving it to be an island. From 1801 to 1803 he circumnavigated mainland Australia in HMS Investigator, a voyage which would forever link him with this country.

The James Fairfax Matthew Flinders Electronic Archive is generously sponsored by Mr James Fairfax, AO.