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Bass, George (1771 - 1803)

Archival/Heritage SourcesPublished Sources
Explorer and Naturalist
Born: 30 January 1771  Aswarby, Lincolnshire, England.  Died: 1803.
George Bass explored the coast of New South Wales from Botany Bay to Illawarra and to Wilson's Promontory 1797-98. In 1798-99 he circumnavigated Tasmania with Matthew Flinders.

Career Highlights
Born Aswarby, Lincolnshire, England, 30 January 1771. Died at sea 1803. Apprenticed to a local surgeon-apothecary, and by 1789 was a "surgeon second-rate". Postings in several ships; arrived in port Jackson on the "Reliance" 1795; explored the George's River with Matthew Flinders (q.v.) 1795 (this led to the establishment of a settlement at Banks Town); explored south of Botany Bay in "Tom Thumb" 1796; attempted unsuccessfully to cross the Blue Mountains 1796; found coal around Coalcliff 1797; explored a probable strait (later named Bass Strait) between New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land 1797-98; sailed through Bass Strait and circumnavigated Van Diemen's Land 1798-99; sailed with a trader, Charles Bishop, to England 1799-1800, naming and charting Bass Islands on the way; sailed with Bishop on the "Venus" to Port Jackson 1801; sailed to the south sea islands to buy pork for the government 1801 (some was sold to Baudin, (q.v.) for his French expedition); left for South America on the "Venus" 1803; fate unknown.
 

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Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: McCarthy, G.J.
Created: 20 October 1993
Modified: 10 September 2004

Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
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Updated: 26 February 2007
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000206b.htm

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