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Neither explorer was now following unknown coast--the coast Flinders followed had been charted by the French, although he would later record he had some difficulty reconciling their locations against his chart. As the French headed north-west they entered the area Flinders had already explored. Unlike Flinders however they would later return to this area and complete the exploration of Kangaroo Island. Fate and the poor condition of his ship prevented Flinders from doing this.

Flinders continued to journey eastwards, leaving present day South Australian waters on 19 April, and reaching Port Jackson in May 1802. After the ship had been refitted and the crew rested, the English expedition sailed north to survey the eastern coast of the continent, adding to Cook's earlier charts, and then chart the Gulf of Carpentaria. The pressing need for further ship repairs forced Flinders to sail to Timor. He stopped his survey of the north Australian coastline at Wessel Islands. The Investigator then continued on around the western and southern coasts of New Holland, arriving back in Port Jackson [Sydney] in June 1803, thereby completing the first circumnavigation of Australia.

After leaving Sydney Baudin returned to the southern coast for a more thorough survey. Le Naturaliste was sent back to France with its scientific collections, and was replaced with Le Casuarina, a schooner built in Sydney. In January 1803 Baudin circumnavigated Ile Borda [named Ile Decres by Peron; present day Kangaroo Island], the first European to do so. While Le Geographe anchored at Nepean Bay, Freycinet and the geographer Boullanger explored the two gulfs in Le Casuarina. Near the end of February Le Geographe and Le Casuarina rendezvoused at King George Sound, and explored the west and north-west coasts of 'New Holland', before heading home.

Flinders, Matthew, 1774-1814

Brown, Robert, 1773-1858

Baudin, Nicolas, 1754-1803

Baudin, Nicolas, The journal of post Captain Nicolas Baudin, Commander-in-Chief of the corvettes Geographe and Naturaliste, ... Adelaide: Libraries Board of South Australia, 1974

The Encounter, 1802: art of the Flinders and Baudin voyages Adelaide: Art Gallery of South Australia, 2002

Horner, F. B. The French reconnaissance: Baudin in Australia 1801-1803 Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1987

Cooper, H. M. The unknown coast: being the explorations of Captain Matthew Flinders, along the shores of South Australia 1802 Adelaide: The author, 1953 (Adelaide: Advertiser Printing Office)

Fornasiero, F. J. Encountering Terra Australis: the Australian voyages of Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders Kent Town, South Australia : Wakefield Press, 2004

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