The unpublished Fleurieu chart with Patrick Llewellyn

Due to unforeseen circumstances this event has been cancelled.

Join Patrick Llewellyn as he discusses the unpublished Fleurieu chart and why dozens of French names dot Australia's coastline. 

This special event will feature this important map, together with two marine chronometers used to draw it: a Berthoud from the Baudin expedition and an Earnshaw from the Flinders expedition. Never before have chronometers from both expeditions been displayed together anywhere in the world.

Entry is free to this event but bookings are essential.

The talk will be available to view live online via the Library's Facebook and YouTube pages. You do not need to book a ticket to watch the event online.

Patrick Llewellyn’s visit is sponsored by the Nicholas Baudin Research Institute (Institut de recherche Nicolas Baudin), Bausele and Accor hotels.

About the Fleurieu chart

The maps of southern and western Australia were drawn by the French: the d'Entrecasteaux (1791 to 1794) and Baudin (1800 to 1804) expeditions. After the French defeat in the Napoleonic Wars, many of the place names given by the French were replaced by the names of the English Flinders Expedition (1801 to 1803). 

However, in 1911, at the time of the founding of Canberra, Alphonse de Fleurieu, a descendant of Pierre Claret de Fleurieu, the organiser of the Lapérouse, d'Entrecasteaux and Baudin expeditions, travelled to Australia with a map he had corrected. He asked for many French names to be restored. And he got them. 

This map is the final episode in 140 years of adventures and links between France and Australia. Fleurieu deposited it in the archives in 1912. It was discovered, along with accompanying papers at the BNF (National Library of France) a few years ago. Although it is fundamental to Australian history, it has never been studied or exhibited in Australia – until now.  

This special event will feature this important map, together with two marine chronometers used to draw it: a Berthoud from the Baudin expedition and an Earnshaw from the Flinders expedition. Never before have chronometers from both expeditions been displayed together anywhere in the world. This talk is a world first. 

About Patrick Llewellyn

Patrick Llewellyn is President, Institut de recherche Nicolas Baudin. He is French and has a degree in humanities. For almost 12 years, he has specialised in the history of the great scientific maritime expeditions of the 18th century, in particular that of Nicolas Baudin, the battle of the longitudes and marine chronometers.

He was involved in organising the Art of Science exhibition in Australia in 2016, dedicated to Captain Baudin's expedition, and facilitated the loan to Australia from the Musée National de la Marine in Paris of one of only two surviving marine chronometers from the Baudin expedition, and the large copper plate used to engrave the first complete map of the Australian coastline in Paris in 1811. Patrick gave numerous lectures in Australia in 2015 and 2016. 

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