Matthew
Flinders names Kangaroo island in South Australia for the fresh food it
provides his crew.
Matthew Flinders was the sea explorer who, together with Bass, was the first to prove that Van Diemen's Land, or Tasmania, was an island and not connected to the mainland. Flinders was also the first to circumnavigate the continent, and between December 1801 and June 1803, he charted most of the coastline of Australia.
On 2 March 1802, Flinders and his crew landed on Kangaroo Island. By the time Flinders and his crew passed the eastern point of the Great Australian Bight, they had gone without fresh food for four months, living only on preserved meat. When they landed on the island, they found as plenty of easy game by way of kangaroos, allowing them to feast on fresh food. Flinders recorded in his ship's log: 'the whole ship's company was employed this afternoon in the skinning and cleaning of kangaroos'. He estimated that the crew stewed 'half a hundredweight' of kangaroo forequarters, tails and even heads, and that the entire crew also feasted on kangaroo steaks for many days after that.
Flinders was so grateful for the abundant supply of fresh food that he named the southern island "Kangaroo Island".
Matthew Flinders was the sea explorer who, together with Bass, was the first to prove that Van Diemen's Land, or Tasmania, was an island and not connected to the mainland. Flinders was also the first to circumnavigate the continent, and between December 1801 and June 1803, he charted most of the coastline of Australia.
On 2 March 1802, Flinders and his crew landed on Kangaroo Island. By the time Flinders and his crew passed the eastern point of the Great Australian Bight, they had gone without fresh food for four months, living only on preserved meat. When they landed on the island, they found as plenty of easy game by way of kangaroos, allowing them to feast on fresh food. Flinders recorded in his ship's log: 'the whole ship's company was employed this afternoon in the skinning and cleaning of kangaroos'. He estimated that the crew stewed 'half a hundredweight' of kangaroo forequarters, tails and even heads, and that the entire crew also feasted on kangaroo steaks for many days after that.
Flinders was so grateful for the abundant supply of fresh food that he named the southern island "Kangaroo Island".
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