[AUSTRALIA-SA] Gulf of St.Vincent Backst…

Hydrographic charting of Australia History ( - )

Naval policy dictated that Admiralty charts be destroyed when superseded to avoid navigational error. It was during Rear Admiral John Washington’s period as the Admiralty’s hydrographer, 1855-1863, that a series of agreements were drawn up with the Australian colonies. These agreements provided boats and crews for use by officers lent from the Royal Navy to chart the coasts and shoal waters in the approaches to the rapidly developing towns, communication with which was seriously hampered by the the frequency of shipwrecks. It had been the discovery of gold and the consequent rush of miners and emigrants from not only England but California that added greatly the numbers of ships sailing to Australia’s east coast. This led to numerous petitions being made to Her Majesty’s Government to chart the eastern approaches to Australia to make for safer passage for shipping.

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John Hutchinson ( - )

Hutchinson was a  surveyor who began surveying under Captain F. Bullock in 1842, examining the river Thames. From 1843-1844 he was engaged on surveying the west coast of Ireland with James Wolfe. He then was promoted to Assistant-Surveyor and joined the HMS Herald with Captain H. Kellett, employed in surveying the North-West coast of America and Behring strait until he was promoted to Lieutenant in 1850. As Lieutenant and Assistant Surveyor, he was employed from 1852-1861 working with Capt. Denam in the South sea Islands, Shark Bay, West Australia, Fiji Islands, Coral Sea and the east coast of Australia. Hutchinson as made marine surveyor of the South Australian Survey Station between 1852 and 1865, and mapped much of the Northern Territory coastline. He gained the rank of commander in 1861. In 1868, he was promoted to rank of Post-Captain, but died in July 1869 of inflammation of the lungs.

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