What are George Bass and Matthew Flinders famous for?

Answer 1

Individually, George Bass and Matthew Flinders were early sea explorers who explored and charted various parts of the Australian coastline, with Flinders being the first to circumnavigate the continent.

Together, Bass and Flinders also charted sections of Australia's coastline, adding valuable information to the maps of the time. In 1798, Bass's explorations along the southern coast of what would later become the colony of Victoria led him to the belief that Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania) was separate from the mainland. Governor Hunter wished for this theory to be proven conclusively, so he commissioned Bass and Flinders to circumnavigate Van Diemen's Land, which they did between October 1798 and January 1799.

Their exploration was well-received, because it meant that ships sailing to Sydney along usual routes could shave a full week off their journey by travelling through Bass Strait rather than south of Tasmania.

Flinders later became especially important for his complete circumnavigation of the Australian continent. This, too, was vital for the information it provided for future settlement along Australia's coast - particularly in the south.

Answer 2

George Bass and Matthew Flinders met on HMS Reliancewhich sailed from England in February 1795, bound for Port Jackson (Sydney). Both being from Lincolnshire and interested in exploration, they became firm friends during the voyage.

Answer 3

Early European explorers in Australia, George Bass and Matthew Flinders, undertook a number of expeditions of discovery. However, they specifically sought to determine whether or not Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) was joined to the mainland, or whether it was an island. They confirmed Bass's suspicions that it was an island, in a discovery that shaved a week off the journey from England to New South Wales.

Answer 4

Individually, George Bass and Matthew Flinders were early sea explorers who explored and charted various parts of the Australian coastline, with Flinders being the first to circumnavigate the continent.

Together, Bass and Flinders also charted sections of Australia's coastline, adding valuable information to the maps of the time. In 1798, Bass's explorations along the southern coast of what would later become the colony of Victoria led him to the belief that Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania) was separate from the mainland. Governor Hunter wished for this theory to be proven conclusively, so he commissioned Bass and Flinders to circumnavigate Van Diemen's Land, which they did between October 1798 and January 1799.

Their exploration was well-received, because it meant that ships sailing to Sydney along usual routes could shave a full week off their journey by travelling through Bass Strait rather than south of Tasmania.

Flinders later became especially important for his complete circumnavigation of the Australian continent. This, too, was vital for the information it provided for future settlement along Australia's coast - particularly in the south.

Answer 5

George Bass and Matthew Flinders were the first to circumnavigate Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia's island state), proving that it was an island.

Answer 6

In 1798, George Bass and Matthew Flinders circumnavigated Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia's island state), proving that it was an island.

Answer 7

George Bass was a British Naval surgeon.
Matthew Flinfers was a British sailor, navigator, and cartographer, who was the first to circumnavigate and identify Australia as a continent.