H.M.S. Roebuck 1699

Fine etching by the maritime historian and etcher of H.M.S. Roebuck which under the command of William Dampier first made landfall in August 1699 on the Western Australian coast at Shark Bay which he named. There, and at places further north such as Lagrange Bay, just south of what is now known as Broome in Roebuck Bay, he described and collected many specimens, including shells, subsequently earning the title “Australia’s first natural historian“.

Collections:
National Gallery Australia: Bib ID 593890