Baudin, Napoleon and the Exploration of Australia

The Napoleonic era was a period of major social, political and intellectual transition. During this time, the explorer Nicolas Baudin made a scientific voyage to Australia and made an unscheduled stop in Sydney where he restructured the expedition. Starbuck examines Baudin's captainship, life on board the ship, the details of the stop in Port Jackson and the 'new voyage' that followed.This is the first in-depth study of the Sydney sojourn. Interaction between the French sailors with the British colonials and indigenous aborigines is explored and the role of French-British colonial rivalry in Baudin's restructured expedition is looked at. The Australian voyage is also compared with Napoleon's feted expedition to Egypt two years previously. While previous histories of the episode have seen it as little more than an opportunity for the French voyagers to seek respite and replenishment, Starbuck contends that it represents a significant event which allows a snapshot of the Napoleonic world view.