P000544 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human McCarthy, G.J. and Helen Cohn updated 2026-05-18 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P000544b.htm person King Phillip Parker FRS AACR2 13 December 1791 26 February 1856 Place of Birth Norfolk Island Place of Death North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Hydrographer Marine surveyor Naval officer Politician Phillip Parker King is considered one of the greatest of the early surveyors of the Australian coast. Having entered the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth, United Kingdom, his first posting was as Midshipman in H.M.S. Diana in 1807, with promotion to Lieutenant in 1814. He received extensive training in hydrography from Thomas Hurd, Hydrographer to the Admiralty. In 1817 King was appointed to conduct surveys of the Australian coast, his orders relating to the survey of previously unexplored parts of the coast, and the collection of information on topography, resources, climate, and the Indigenous people and the possibility of trading with them. The cutter Mermaid was purchased for the conduct of the survey. Between 1817 and 1820 King made three surveying voyages around Australia. On all three voyages King was accompanied by botanist Allan Cunningham and Bungaree, an Aboriginal man who had been of material assistance to Matthew Flinders during his surveys. On arriving back in Sydney in December 1820, Mermaid was condemned as unfit for further surveying service. On his fourth voyage, King commanded H.M.S. Bathurst, a larger vessel with a deeper draft than Mermaid, with the potential to make close in-shore work difficult. King returned to the United Kingdom in 1823. Between May 1826 and October 1830 he commanded H.M.S. Adventure in charting the coasts of Peru, Chile and Patagonia. Adventure was accompanied by H.M.S. Beagle whose captain from August 1828 was Charles Fitzroy. King returned to New South Wales in 1832. For ten years from 1839 he was Resident Commissioner of the Australian Agricultural Company. King also made research notes on Australian natural history, collected insects and had a small observatory. 1802 1802 Career event - Entered the Royal Naval Academy, Portsmouth, United Kingdom 1807 1807 Career event - Midshipman, H.M.S. Diana 1814 1814 Career event - Promoted to Lieutenant December 1817 April 1822 Career position - Commander of H.M.S. Mermaid and H.M.S. Bathurst on four surveying explorations around the Australian coast July 1821 July 1821 Career event - Promoted to Commander May 1822 August 1822? Career position - Member, Philosophical Society of Australasia April 1823 April 1823 Life event - Arrived in the United Kingdom 1824 1856 Award - Fellow, Royal Society, London 1826 1830 Career position - Commanded H.M.S. Adventure in company with H.M.S. Beagle in South American waters 1832 1832 Life event - Returned to New South Wales December 1837 January 1838 Life event - Explored the Murrumbidgee River, New South Wales December 1838 January 1839 Life event - Visited New Zealand and Norfolk Island 1839 1849 Career position - Resident Commissioner, Australian Agricultural Company 1843 1843 Life event - Surveyed Port Stephens May 1850 June 1851 Career position - Member (appointed), Legislative Council, Parliament of New South Wales September 1851 February 1856 Career position - Member for counties of Gloucester and Macquarie (elected), Legislative Council, Parliament of New South Wales 1855 1855 Career event - Promoted to Rear-Admiral on the retired list King, Philip Gidley (the younger) (1817 - 1904)

Served in H.M.S. Adventure 1826 - 1830

 King, Robert Lethbridge (1823 - 1897) Stanley, Owen (1811 - 1850)

Served under King in H.M.S. Adventure 1830

 King, Philip Gidley (1758 - 1808) Philosophical Society of Australasia (1821 - 1822)

Member May - ?August 1822

 Australian Agricultural Company (1824 - )

Resident Commissioner 1839 - 1849

 Cunningham, Allan (1791 - 1839)

Accompanied King in H.M.S. Mermaid 1817 - 1820

 H.M.S. Mermaid (1816 - 1829)

Commander on three surveying voyages around Australia 1817 - 1820

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 King, Phillip Parker (17911213-18560226)

Trove

 'King, Phillip Parker', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology King, Phillip Parker Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: From the edge: Australia's lost histories McKenna, Mark From the edge: Australia's lost histories Melbourne The Miegunyah Press (University of Melbourne Publishing Ltd) 2016 Journal Article: Illuminating Incidents in Antipodean Astronomy: Phillip Parker King and the Founding of Sydney Observatory Orchiston, Wayne Illuminating Incidents in Antipodean Astronomy: Phillip Parker King and the Founding of Sydney Observatory 1988 Vistas in Astronomy 32 285-301 Conference Paper: Cunningham's Collecting Localities While Botanist on Lieutenant Phillip Parker King's Survey of Coastal Australia, December 1817 to April 1822 Curry, Suzanne; Maslin, Bruce Cunningham's Collecting Localities While Botanist on Lieutenant Phillip Parker King's Survey of Coastal Australia, December 1817 to April 1822 Melbourne Australian Systematic Botany Society 1990 History of Systematic Botany in Australasia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the University of Melbourne, 25-27 May 1988 Short, P.S. 137-148 Seminar Paper: Cook-Bligh-Flinders-King: the quadrilogy of master mariners Brock, John F. Cook-Bligh-Flinders-King: the quadrilogy of master mariners Sydney Australian Science History Club 2005 given in The Discovery Room, Australian Museum, Tuesday 6pm Resource Section: The Origins of Australian Meteorology Gibbs, W. J. The Origins of Australian Meteorology 2001 Federation and Meteorology Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre Book Section: King, Phillip Parker (1791-1856), naval officer, hydrographer and company manager King, Phillip Parker (1791-1856), naval officer, hydrographer and company manager Melbourne Melbourne University Press 1967 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 2: 1788 - 1850 I-Z Douglas Pike 61-64 Journal Article: Some Early Naturalists and Collectors in Australia Whitley, Gilbert P. Some Early Naturalists and Collectors in Australia 1933 Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society xix 291-304 Journal Article: Astronomical and Meteorological Workers in New South Wales, 1778-1860 Russell, H.C. Astronomical and Meteorological Workers in New South Wales, 1778-1860 Sydney, NSW Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1888 Report of the first meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science 1 45-94 Book: The Origins of Australian Meteorology, Metarch Papers No. 12 Gibbs, W. J. The Origins of Australian Meteorology, Metarch Papers No. 12 Bureau of Meteorology 1998 Edited Book: A narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, being passages fron the Narrative written by Captain Robert FitzRoy, R.N., together with extracts from his logs, reports and letters; additional material from the diary and letters of Charles Darwin, notes from Midshipman Philip King and letters from Second Lieutenant Bartholomew Sullivan Stanbury, David A narrative of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, being passages fron the Narrative written by Captain Robert FitzRoy, R.N., together with extracts from his logs, reports and letters; additional material from the diary and letters of Charles Darwin, notes from Midshipman Philip King and letters from Second Lieutenant Bartholomew Sullivan London Folio Society 1977 Book: Complete sailing directions for the various passages to and through Torres Straits: comprising the inner passage of the late Admiral King, and the outer routes by Raine Island: and by the north eastern entrance, by Captain Blackwood (...) Wellbank, I., compiler Complete sailing directions for the various passages to and through Torres Straits: comprising the inner passage of the late Admiral King, and the outer routes by Raine Island: and by the north eastern entrance, by Captain Blackwood (...) 2nd Sydney Reading & Wellbank 1864 Book: Narrative of the surveying voyages of his Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagle's circumnavigation of the globe King, P. Parker, Fitzroy, Robert and Darwin, Charles Narrative of the surveying voyages of his Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagle's circumnavigation of the globe London Henry Colburn 1839 Book Section: On the maritime geography of Australia King, Philip Parker On the maritime geography of Australia London John Murray 1825 Geographical memoirs on New South Wales Barron Field 269-96 Book: Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia performed between the years 1818 and 1822 by Captain Phillip King King, Phillip Parker Narrative of a survey of the intertropical and western coasts of Australia performed between the years 1818 and 1822 by Captain Phillip King London John Murray 1826 Book: The Mermaid Tree: How a Tiny Unknown Ship Opened Australia's North and West to Development, Dreams and Disappointment Tiley, Robert The Mermaid Tree: How a Tiny Unknown Ship Opened Australia's North and West to Development, Dreams and Disappointment Sydney ABC Books 2006 Journal Article: A. Cunningham, P.P. King and the Legacy to the Botanical Fraternity Webb, Joan B. A. Cunningham, P.P. King and the Legacy to the Botanical Fraternity 2013 Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 152 4-7 Book: Phillip Parker King 1791-1856: a Most Admirable Australian Abbott, Brian Douglas Phillip Parker King 1791-1856: a Most Admirable Australian Sydney Glenburgh Pty Ltd 2012 Book: The Australian botanical journals of Allan Cunningham: the Oxley and early King expeditions October 1816 - February 1819 Orchard, A. E.; and Orchard, T. A. The Australian botanical journals of Allan Cunningham: the Oxley and early King expeditions October 1816 - February 1819 Weston Creek, A.C.T. A. E. Orchard 2018 Book: The Australian botanical journals of Allan Cunningham: the later King expeditions February 1819 - September 1822 Orchard, A. E.; and Orchard, T. A. The Australian botanical journals of Allan Cunningham: the later King expeditions February 1819 - September 1822 Weston Creek, A.C.T. A. E. Orchard 2018 Book Section: Ethnographic inquiry on Phillip Parker King's hydrographic survey Shellam, Tiffany Ethnographic inquiry on Phillip Parker King's hydrographic survey New York Bergahn Books 2018 Expeditionary anthropology: teamwork, travel and the ‘science of man’ Thomas, Martin; and Harris, Amanda 205-32 Book: Charting a Continent; a brief memoir on the history of marine exploration and hydrographical surveying in Australian waters, from the discoveries of Captain James Cook to the war activities of the Royal Australian Navy Ingleton, G. C. Charting a Continent; a brief memoir on the history of marine exploration and hydrographical surveying in Australian waters, from the discoveries of Captain James Cook to the war activities of the Royal Australian Navy Sydney Angus & Robertson 1944 Journal Article: The Mermaid? Re-envisaging the 1818 exploration of Enderby Island, Murujuga, Western Australia Paterson, Alistair; Shellam, Tiffany; Veth, Peter; Mulvaney, Ken; Anderson, Ross; Dortch, Joe; and McDonald, Jo The <span style="font-style:italic">Mermaid</span>? Re-envisaging the 1818 exploration of Enderby Island, Murujuga, Western Australia 2020 Journal of island and coastal archaeology 15 2 284-304 Journal Article: Connections in charting the Great Barrier Reef, 1770 - 1850 Beanland, Denver Connections in charting the Great Barrier Reef, 1770 - 1850 2019 Queensland history journal 24 3 251-67 Journal Article: A historical stratum of geological collections from Western Australia in the Natural History Museum, London Shellam, Tiffany; and Paterson, Alistair A historical stratum of geological collections from Western Australia in the Natural History Museum, London 2020 Studies in Western Australian history 35 37-57 Journal Article: Navigating the Great Barrier Reef: the inner and outer routes, 1815 - 1860 Morgan, Kenneth Navigating the Great Barrier Reef: the inner and outer routes, 1815 - 1860 2021 International journal of maritime history 31 1 37-53 Book: King of the Australian coast; the work of Phillip Parker King in Mermaid and Bathurst 1817 - 1822 Hordern, Marsden King of the Australian coast; the work of Phillip Parker King in Mermaid and Bathurst 1817 - 1822 Carlton South (Vic.) Melbourne University Press 1997 Journal Article: Two centuries on: the iconic "Mermaid" boab tree in the Kimberley Kenneally, Kevin; and Clement, Cathie Two centuries on: the iconic "Mermaid" boab tree in the Kimberley 2021 Australasian Systematic Botany Society newsletter 188 32-8 Journal Article: The Mermaid? Re-envisaging the 1818 exploration of Enderby Island, Murujuga, Western Australia Paterson, Alistair [and others] The <span style="font-style:italic">Mermaid</span>? Re-envisaging the 1818 exploration of Enderby Island, Murujuga, Western Australia 2020 Journal of island and coastal archaeology 15 2 284-304 Book Section: The centrality of ethnographic inquiry on Phillip Parker King's Australian hydrographic survey Shellam, Tiffany The centrality of ethnographic inquiry on Phillip Parker King's Australian hydrographic survey New York Berghahn 2018 Expeditionary anthropology: teamwork, travel and the "science of man" Thomas, Martin; and Harris, Amanda 205-32 Book: Upside Down World: Early European Impressions of Australia's Curious Animals Olsen, Penny Upside Down World: Early European Impressions of Australia's Curious Animals Canberra National Library of Australia 2010 Resource: Federation and Meteorology Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre Federation and Meteorology 2001 Journal Article: Hermann Klaatsch and the Tiwi, 1906 Stehlik, Brigitte Hermann Klaatsch and the Tiwi, 1906 Canberra ANU Press 1986 Aboriginal history journal 10 59-77 Journal Article: Records of Australian botanists:- (a) general; (b) New South Wales Maiden, J. H. Records of Australian botanists:- (a) general; (b) New South Wales 1908 Journal and Proceedings of The Royal Society of New South Wales 42 60-132 Book: The Australian Agricultural Company, 1824 - 1875 Gregson, Jesse The Australian Agricultural Company, 1824 - 1875 Sydney Angus & Robertson 1907 Journal Article: W. H. Fitton's Geology of Australia's Coasts, 1826 Branagan, David and Moore, D. T. W. H. Fitton's Geology of Australia's Coasts, 1826 2008 Historical Records of Australian Science 19 1 1-51 Book: Dictionary of Australian biography Serle, Percival Dictionary of Australian biography Sydney Angus & Robertson 1949 Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records ML MSS 963 1837 - 1843 Notebook with sketches 1837, 1843 regarding the voyage of the "Rattlesnake" down the south-east coast and the Port Phillip district. 1 volume Phillip Parker King - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection Phillip Parker King - Records MS 1645 1817 Letter to from Phillip Parker King J.W. Croker, 1817. King personally sends news of his arrival in Sydney Cove and describes the preparations being made for the survey. 4 pages Phillip Parker King - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection Phillip Parker King - Records Mfm G/1893 1818 - 1821 Log of HM Cutter Mermaid and Brig Bathurst (third voyage), 1818-1821. 1 reel Microfilm Phillip Parker King - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection Phillip Parker King - Records Mfm G 1883 9 February 1818 - 3 May 1818 Journal of HM Cutter Mermaid from 9 February to 3 May 1818. 1 reel Microfilm Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records A3599 and on microfilm FM 4/66 1824 - 1855 Correspondence 1824-55 received by King including letters about exploration from T.L. Mitchell, C. Sturt, A. Cunningham, L. Leichhardt, the discovery of gold from W.B. Clarke, R.I. Murchison and P. Strzelecki, and on other subjects from J. Franklin. 363 pages Microfilm Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records FM 4/2113 and FM 4/2094-5 1817 - 1822 Journal and log books of the "Mermaid" 1817-21 and "Bathurst" 1818-22 [microfilm, FM 4/2113 and FM 4/2094-5]. Microfilm Phillip Parker King - Records National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection Phillip Parker King - Records MS 3232 1826 - 1830 Papers of the surveying expedition of the "Adventure" and the "Beagle" 1826-30 including the journals of P.P. King, J. Stokes, and R. FitzRoy with meteorological notes, reports and correspondence. 5 volumes Microfilm Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records ML MSS 4429 1817 - 1823 Letterbook 1817-23 regarding survey voyages around the NSW coast and a log book from the "Bathurst". 2 volumes Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records ML MSS 592 1837 - 1861 Field book 1837-38; journal of a visit to New Zealand and Norfolk Island in the "Pelorus" 1838-39; accounts book 1848-56, and family and scientific correspondence; family records 1813-1961 including material relating to the "Mermaid", sketches and etchings 1809-41, a watercolour of the "Mermaid" by King 1818 and a photograph of King 1856 [ML MSS 592]. Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records ML DOC 920 1817 Letter to W.J. Croker 1817 regarding the "Mermaid" and J. Oxley's first expedition into NSW. Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records ML MSS 1521 1819 - 1830 Hydrographic surveys 1819-30 and correspondence. King Family - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales King Family - Records ML MSS 3447 1831 - 1903 Philip Gidley King's journal kept while on the "Beagle" 1831-33 with later additions 1903; letters from C. Darwin 1854-69; reminiscences of C. Darwin 1831-6 written in 1892; autobiography 1894. Also Phillip Parker King's diary kept in New Zealand 1826; notes on natural history and surveying made on voyages of the "Adventure" and the "Beagle" 1826-30 and a letter from R. FitzRoy 1844. King Family - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales King Family - Records ML MSS 673 1843 - 1897 Correspondence with his father, P.P. King 1843-46 and with his sons 1876-97; scrapbook 1843-50 with portraits of family members; journal of the voyage on the "Rattlesnake" 1846-47; sketchbooks of drawings of crustacea 1852, Australian fish 1853 and views of New South Wales. Also 'Sketches from nature' by P.P. King c1800. Artwork Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records MS Q299 1848 - 1856 Correspondence, 1848-1856. Includes correspondence with James Dunlop and Christian Carl Ludwig Rumker. Phillip Parker King - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Phillip Parker King - Records ML DOC 2312 1818 - 1829 Letters written by King 1818-29 including letters written while on the "Mermaid" 1818-20, the "Bathurst" 1822-23 and the "Adventure" 1828-29 [ML DOC 2312]. Australian Botanists - Biographies Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science Australian Botanists - Biographies MS 064 Hunt Institute Biographies. Short biographies, averaging 2 pages, of Australian botanists, botanical collectors or artists. 0.24 m, 3 boxes