TrimPrint Page 
The statue commemorates Matthew Flinders cat, "Trim". The plaque was originally unveiled at the base of the Matthew Flinders statue on the 22nd November 1985.
Trim was born at sea on a ship called Reliance somewhere in the Indian Ocean. The ship was on a voyage in 1799 between the Cape of Good Hope and Botany Bay. Flinders noticed that he was a gentle and kind-hearted kitten and gave him the name of Trim, after a kind-hearted and humble cat owned by his Uncle. Trim grew up to be Matthew Flinders adored and faithful friend.
In 1801 Trim and Flinders began the circumnavigation of Australia. In 1803, Trim embarked on his last voyage with Matthew Flinders aboard the ship Cumberland. They were on their way back to England but never arrived, as on August 17th, Cumberland became shipwrecked on a coral reef in the Indian Ocean. Matthew Flinders and Trim were both rescued, but became imprisoned on the French island of Mauritius. Trim did not survive, he went missing and after two weeks was presumed dead.
Location
| Address: | Macquarie Street , Mitchell Library, Sydney, 2000 |
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| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -33.866319 Long: 151.21265 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
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| Monument Theme: | Culture |
| Sub-Theme: | Animals |
| Artist: | John Cornwell |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Thursday 28th March, 1996 |
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To the memory of Trim
The best and most illustrious of his race
The most affectionate of friends,
Faithful of servants, and best of creatures.
He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia, which he circumnavigated, and was ever the delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers.
Written by Matthew Flinders in memory of his cat.
Memorial donated by the North Shore Historical Society
Trim
Matthews Flinders intrepid cat who circumnavigated Australia with his master 1801 - 1803
And thereafter shared his exile on the island of Mauritius where he met his untimely death
Erected by public subscription by Trim`s admirers and unveiled by Rear-Admiral David Campbell AM, RAN on 28 March 1996
Sculptor John Cornwell
State Librarian Dagmar Schmidmaeir
State Library New South Wales
