Recherche Bay - a few facts about the French expedition (1792-1793)

The expedition of Bruni d’Entrecasteaux, looking for La Pérouse, set up a temporary village and scientific observatory on the NE Peninsula of Recherche Bay for 4 weeks in 1792 and and others in the south of the bay for 3 weeks in 1793.

Important friendly exchanges were made with the Tasmanian Aboriginal People here in 1793.

Rossel made a world break-through in geo-magnetism advancing global navigation.

Labilliadière identifies over 100 new species including the blue gum, Eucalyptus Globulus, now Tasmania’s floral emblem, the flag iris, Diplarrena moraea, and the native cherry, Exocarpus cupressiformis.

95% of Labilliadière’s Tasmanian collection of 5000 specimens comes from here. It was the foundation for his Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen (1804-1806) which is considered to be the first general Flora of Australia.

Félix de la Haie establishes gardens to potentially sustain future expeditions. He went on to be Head Gardener to Empress Josephine establishing a Tasmanian Garden at Malmaison in France in 1800.

The beach where the French held sporting games with the Palua people (Martin Wyness)

Near the French Garden (Martin Wyness)

Eucalyptus Globulus
Tasmania's floral emblem
first identified at Recherche Bay by Labillardière in 1792
courtesy of Tasmaniana Library, State Library of Tasmania

(click image to enlarge)

Recherche Bay trees
image by Vica Bayley