Who mapped the whole of Australia's coastline?

Answer 1

No single person mapped the entire east coast of Australia. The first to chart the eastern coast was Captain James Cook in 1770, and he named many features along the coast, but did not explore every bay and inlet. Between December 1801 and June 1803, Matthew Flinders charted the entire coastline of Australia. During this time, he filled in some of the information Cook had missed. In 1817, Philip Parker King was given command of an expedition to complete the exploration of the north-western coast of Australia, filling in the gaps that Flinders had not yet mapped. He was instructed to explore all gulfs, inlets and other waterways "likely to lead to an interior navigation into this great continent".

In 1823, three ticket-of-leave convicts (Parsons, Pamphlett and Finnegan) led explorer John Oxley to the Brisbane River, another feature which had been missed by the two previous seamen.

Answer 2

It is generally accepted that the mapping of the entire coastline of Australia was done by Matthew Flinders. Between December 1801 and June 1803, Flinders sailed and charted the entire coastline of Australia. During this time, he filled in some of the information Captain Cook had missed in 1770. Flinders is the one most credited with mapping all of Australia, as he was the first to circumnavigate the continent. However, no single person mapped the entire coastline of Australia. Rough maps were first made by Dutch explorers to the western and northern coasts, during the 1500s, and they named the unknown land "New Holland". In 1616, Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog accidentally landed on the western coast at Cape Inscription. He was able to give more detailed information on that one corner. Later, in 1697, Dutch sailor Willem de Vlamingh reached New Holland and added more information to the western coastline maps. Nearly a decade earlier in January 1688, the ship 'Cygnet', belonging to English sea-captain and pirate, William Dampier, was beached on the northwest coast of Australia, at King Sound near Buccaneer Archipelago on the north-west coast of Australia. While the ship was being repaired Dampier made notes on the fauna and flora he found there, and added to the maps of the northwest coast. In 1642, Abel Tasman discovered the island now called Tasmania, although he called it "Antony Van Diemen's Land" in honour of the High Magistrate, or Governor-General of Batavia. He did not realise at the time that it was not joined to the mainland. The accurate mapping of Tasmania was later completed by George Bass in 1797. The first to chart the eastern coast was Captain James Cook in 1770, and he named many features along the coast, but did not explore every bay and inlet. In 1817, Philip Parker King was given command of an expedition to complete the exploration of the north-western coast of Australia, filling in the gaps that Flinders had not yet mapped. He was instructed to explore all gulfs, inlets and other waterways "likely to lead to an interior navigation into this great continent".

In 1823, three ticket-of-leave convicts (Parsons, Pamphlett and Finnegan) led explorer John Oxley to the Brisbane River, another feature which had been missed by the two previous seamen.