An Officer of the Blue Marc-Joseph Marion Dufresne, South Sea Explorer 1724–1772

by Duyker, Edward

• ISBN13: 9780522845655
• ISBN10: 0522845657
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1990-04-30
• Publisher: Melbourne University Press

Summary

French explorer Marion Dufresne was the man who reached Tasmania before the English. His expedition was the first to encounter the Tasmanian Aborigines and was a precursor of the great voyages of La Perouse, d'Entrecasteaux, Baudin and d'Urville. France was not idle in her search for the Southland at the time of James Cook's great expeditions. It is puzzling that Marion's name is absent not only from Australian but also from French reference works. His life of high adventure demands descriptionearly success as a Breton corsair, a crucial part in the daring rescue from Scotland of Bonnie Prince Charlie, numerous voyages to the East, entrepreneurial boldness, discovery of the most westerly islands in the Indian Ocean and an early visit to New Zealand. He was surely one of the most colorful characters in our maritime history, and his story is told here with verve and skill.

Author Biography

Dr Edward Duyker comes from a family deeply steeped in the sea. He is the author of many books dealing with early Australian coastal exploration, including An Officer of the Blue (1994), Nature's Argonaut (1998), the award-winning Citizen Labillardière (2003) and, most recently, François Péron (2006). In 2000 Dr Duyker was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government. He was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003 and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004.

Image courtesy of Susan Duyker.