Chart of the Coast between Botany Bay an…

The first published map to show the three harbours of Botany Bay, Port Jackson and Broken Bay and the template for later mapping of the interior as surveyed by Captain John Hunter in 1788.

Hunter’s surveys of Botany Bay, Broken Bay and the coastlines that linked them, resulted in this crucial chart that provided the framework for all future mapping of the inland areas. Dotted lines indicate sections of Broken Bay and Botany Bay that are from ‘eye sketches’. The chart builds on Hunter’s Plan of Port Jackson New South Wales 1788, issued in Governor Phillip’s 1789 published account of the infant colony. Phillip had made three exploratory trips to Broken Bay in an attempt to locate adequate fresh water for the infant colony.

On the first trip (2 March 1788) Phillip and his crew (not including Hunter), discovered and explored: Brisbane Waters, Cowan Creek (South West Arm), Pittwater, Patonga Creek and camped on Dangar Island (Mullet Island). As supplies were running low, Phillip decided to head back to Port Jackson and although he had discovered tracts of fertile land, Phillip had not found his ‘large river’. Three months later Phillip assembled another party which included Hunter, to explore Broken Bay, leaving 6 June 1789. After further exploration of Brisbane Water, the party camped on Dangar Island for a second time. On 11 June they explored Mullet Creek and Mooney Mooney Creek and on the following day, Phillip and Hunter explored near Long Island and found themselves almost by accident, at what appeared to be an extensive inlet. They explored further upstream, reaching the Junction of the Macdonald River, noticing the water becoming increasingly fresher. Again finding their supplies were running low, they decided to return to Port Jackson to replenish.

On their third and final trip, 26 June 1789, they headed directly to their previous point on the Macdonald River and set up camp. On the following day they rowed up the Hawkesbury River to Richmond Hill. Phillip had succeeded in finding a significant freshwater river, together with large tracts of arable land.

Phillip later stated ‘The River, which I named, Hawkesbury, after Lord Hawkesbury, is laid on the Chart, from an eye-sketch made by Captain Hunter, as we rowed up it’.

From Journal of Transactions at Port.

References; Tooley 742, Powell p.11-30, Prescott 1792.06