In his Introduction to Voyage to Terra Australis... Matthew Flinders continues detailing some of the geographical problems that might be resolved by another voyage of discovery of the Australian coast. If, for instance, there was an inland sea, or Australia was in fact several large islands as some geographers thought, perhaps the strait between them would be found on the unknown south coast. There were many islands on Australia's north-west coast: perhaps they hid good harbours or the mouth of a great river. At this early stage of Australia's discovery and exploration, with large sections of coastline still uncharted, or only roughly charted, there was still room for considerable speculation. The totally unknown stretch of coast between the Nuyts Archipelago in South Australia (discovered in 1627) and Westernport in Victoria (discovered in 1798) held endless possibilities.

Matthew Flinders would be the first to sail and chart this unknown southern section of the Australian coast. The two gulfs did not lead to a strait that connected with the Gulf of Carpentaria, but he and other geographers could still speculate on what might lie behind the cliffs of the Great Australia Bight.

Flinders, Matthew, 1774-1814

Flinders, Matthew, A voyage to Terra Australis ... Adelaide: Libraries Board of South Australia, 1966

Schilder, Gunter Australia unveiled: the share of the Dutch navigators in the discovery of Australia Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, 1976

State Library of South Australia: Mortlock Wing. Taking it to the edge August 2004-