George Vancouver was born on 22 June 1757 in the seaport town of King’s Lynn in Norfolk, England. He was the sixth and youngest child of John Jasper Vancouver, a Dutch-born deputy collector of customs, and Bridget Berners.
In 1771, at age 13, Vancouver entered the Royal Navy as a “young gentleman”, a future candidate for midshipman. He was nominally classified as an able seaman (AB) but sailed as one of the midshipmen aboard HMS Resolution on James Cook’s second voyage (1772–1775) searching for Terra Australis. He also sailed with Cook’s third voyage (1776–1780), this time aboard Resolution‘s companion ship, HMS Discovery (1774).
On 1 April 1791, departing England with two ships, HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham, Vancouver commanded an expedition charged with exploring the Pacific region. Vancouver had been given permission to examine the extent of coast of the south-west side of New Holland. He planned to determine whether New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land were joined.
On 26 September he sighted land near Cape Leeuwin and, sailing south-east, named Cape Chatham and Cape Howe. Two days later the ships entered a spacious harbour which he named King George the Third’s Sound. Vancouver also named Oyster Bay and other features, claiming them for Great Britain.
On 11 October the ships journeyed east, surveying some 300 miles (483 km) of coast and, in the westernmost part of the Recherche Archipelago, reached a rocky island which Vancouver called Termination Island. Adverse winds prevented him from examining the Great Australian Bight and he sailed south of Van Diemen’s Land towards New Zealand (Colony of New South Wales).
As the Colony of New South Wales remained Vancouver’s only link with British officials during his three years in the Pacific, orders had been sent to Governor Arthur Phillip at Port Jackson to replenish Vancouver with supplies and equipment. The storeship Daedalus was sent to him, but her commander and an astronomer were murdered in Hawaii and some of the crew deserted before the ship arrived in August 1792.
Vancouver provided a new commander and as instructed sent livestock back to Port Jackson. The Daedalus also took back dispatches, a report for Governor Phillip of the survey of the south-west coast of New Holland, charts and an appraisal of the King George Sound area which Vancouver thought worthy further attention. Phillip had returned to England but Lieutenant-Governor Francis Grose sent the Daedalus back to Vancouver with supplies.
By December 1794 Vancouver had completed his surveys and arrived in London in September 1795 where he was promoted post captain on 28 August 1794.
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References
- Australian Dictionary of Biography (1967) – Nan Phillips
- Wikipedia: George Vancouver