Matthew Flinders
1774–1814 · British (Lincolnshire) · Georgian Era
Known for: First person to circumnavigate Australia, confirmed it was a single continent, and proposed the name 'Australia'
Flinders was inspired to go to sea by reading Robinson Crusoe. He circumnavigated Australia in the Investigator, meticulously charting thousands of miles of coastline. He was captured by the French at Mauritius and held prisoner for six and a half years despite being on a scientific mission.
He used his imprisonment to write A Voyage to Terra Australis and compile his charts. He died at 40, the day after his book was published. His cat Trim, who sailed with him around the world, is commemorated by a statue—possibly the most famous cat in maritime history.
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