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Matthew FlindersPrint Page 
The tree commemorates explorer Lieutenant Matthew Flinders who explored the Derwent River in 1798.
It was Flinders who in 1798 confirmed Tasmania’s island status. He named the newly discovered stretch of water Bass Strait after his friend George Bass, a surgeon and fellow explorer who accompanied him aboard the Norfolk as it circumnavigated Tasmania, then known as Van Diemens Land.
During the circumnavigation they explored the Tamar River and spent Christmas on the Derwent, exploring the river almost to New Norfolk. Their report encouraged Lieutenant John Bowen to select Risdon Cove as the site of Tasmania’s first European settlement. The discovery of Bass Strait also paved the way for northern settlement.
Location
| Address: | Salamanca Place, Princes Park, Hobart, 7000 |
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| State: | TAS |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -42.886505 Long: 147.33237 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Tree |
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| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Exploration |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Monday 23rd September, 1974 |
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In honour of Lieut. M. Flinders
Born 1774. Died 1814.
Explorer of the Derwent 1798.
Unveiled by the Minister for Tourism Hon. B. K. Miller M.L.C.
23 - 9 - 1974
Presented by Hobart Marine Board
