Biographical entry Bass, George (1771 - 1803)

Summary

George Bass explored the coast of New South Wales from Botany Bay to Illawarra and to Wilson's Promontory 1797-1798. In 1798-1799 he circumnavigated Tasmania with Matthew Flinders.

Details

Born Aswarby, Lincolnshire, England, 30 January 1771. Died at sea 1803. Apprenticed to a local surgeon-apothecary, and by 1789 was a "surgeon second-rate". Postings in several ships; arrived in port Jackson on the "Reliance" 1795; explored the George's River with Matthew Flinders (q.v.) 1795 (this led to the establishment of a settlement at Banks Town); explored south of Botany Bay in "Tom Thumb" 1796; attempted unsuccessfully to cross the Blue Mountains 1796; found coal around Coalcliff 1797; explored a probable strait (later named Bass Strait) between New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land 1797-98; sailed through Bass Strait and circumnavigated Van Diemen's Land 1798-99; sailed with a trader, Charles Bishop, to England 1799-1800, naming and charting Bass Islands on the way; sailed with Bishop on the "Venus" to Port Jackson 1801; sailed to the south sea islands to buy pork for the government 1801 (some was sold to Baudin, (q.v.) for his French expedition); left for South America on the "Venus" 1803; fate unknown.

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

• Australian Botanists - Biographies, MS 064; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales

• George Bass - Records, 1798 - 1799, C228; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• George Bass - Records, 1803, ML DOC 1352; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details
• R. Else-Mitchell - Records, 1939 - 1951, ML MSS 1265; Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales. Details

Published resources

Books

• Bowden, K. M., George Bass, 1771-1803. His Discoveries, Life and Tragic Disappearance, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1952. Details
• Estensen, Miriam, The Life of George Bass: Surgeon and Sailor of the Enlightenment, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2005, 259 pp. Details

Book Sections

• Bowden, Keith Macrae, 'Bass, George (1771-1803)', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1966, pp. 64-65. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010062b.htm. Details

Journal Articles

• Andrews, Alan E.J., 'Mount Hunter and Beyond: with Hunter, Bass, Tench, Wilson, Barrallier, Caley, King, and Macquarie, 1790-1815', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. 76, no. 1, 1990, pp. 3-15. Details
• Coleman, Edith, 'George Bass, Victoria's First Explorer and Naturalist', Victorian Naturalist, vol. 67, 1950, pp. 3-9. Details
• Whitley, Gilbert P., 'Some Early Naturalists and Collectors in Australia', Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, vol. xix, 1933, pp. 291-304. Details

Online Resources

• 'Bass, George', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-790647. Details

See also

• Steven, Margaret, First Impressions. The British Discovery of Australia, British Museum (Natural History), London, 1988, 96 pp. References on page 70. Details