Commanding the survey vessel HMS Adventure alongside HMS Beagle, Phillip Parker King spent five years charting the convoluted passages of the Strait of Magellan. This assignment in South America cemented his standing as a precise hydrographer and naval officer, following his earlier extensive mapping of the Australian coastline between 1817 and 1822.
Early Maritime Service
Born on Norfolk Island in 1791, King moved to England in 1796 and entered the Royal Naval Academy in 1802. By 1807, he began his naval career, receiving his commission as a lieutenant in 1814. This foundational training prepared him for the complex logistical requirements of long-term coastal survey missions in remote territories.
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Tasked with charting parts of the Australian coast missed by Matthew Flinders, King led four voyages from December 1817 to April 1822. Using the HMS Mermaid and later the HMS Bathurst, his crew included botanist Allan Cunningham and the Aboriginal man Bungaree. They investigated topography, timber, and climate while assessing trade prospects. During his third voyage, King repaired his damaged vessel at Careening Bay, leaving an inscription on a boab tree that persists today.
Political and Later Career
After his survey work concluded, King transitioned into administrative and political life in New South Wales. He served as the resident commissioner for the Australian Agricultural Company for a decade starting in 1839. His political career included appointments and elections to the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1839 and 1856. In 1855, he achieved the rank of rear admiral on the retired list, marking him as the first Australian-born flag officer in the Royal Navy.
Fast facts
- Born: 13 December 1791, Norfolk Island
- Died: 26 February 1856, North Sydney
- Military rank: Rear admiral
- Notable member: Royal Society
- Primary occupations: Naval officer, hydrographer, politician
- Known survey ships: HMS Mermaid, HMS Bathurst, HMS Adventure
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of King's third Australian voyage?
It involved a critical 18-day repair operation at Careening Bay after the HMS Mermaid sustained structural damage, during which King documented local Indigenous shelters.
Did King interact with Charles Darwin?
Yes, King hosted Darwin at his property, Dunheved, in January 1836, on the scientist's final night in Sydney.
Achievements
- Recorded as naval officer, ornithologist and botanical collector
