Captain Matthew Flinders died on this day, 19^th July, in 1814.

Born in England in 1774, Flinders was the first explorer to circumnavigate Australia and identify it as a continent.

He is shown above in the NSW, Colonial Secretary’s Papers in 1798 on a list of grants and leases of land registered in the Colonial Secretary’s Office.

On his return to England in 1803, Flinders was held captive in Mauritius for 6 years. It was during this time that he started his famous book and atlas, A Voyage to Terra Australis.

There are numerous places in Australia that have been named after Matthew Flinders – the most famous being Flinders Island in Bass Strait.