A CELEBRATION OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF RECHERCHE BAY
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Auditorium Hobart, Tasmania
26–28 February 2007
Historical archaeology of d’Entrecasteaux’s expedition in Recherche Bay: What are the issues?
Dr Jean-Christophe Galipaud
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Jean-Christophe Galipaud is head of the Archaeology Department at the French Research Institute for Development (IRD) and is based in Nouméa, New Caledonia. He completed a PhD in 1988 on the archaeology of New Caledonia and has since been involved in the study of the initial settlement of Vanuatu, the Solomons and Micronesia. He published in 2000 in collaboration with Ian Lilley a synthesis entitled The Pacific from 5000 to 2000 before Present. Since 1990 he has been involved in the research undertaken in Vanikoro on the wreck of Lapérouse and has located in 1999 the french survivors camp. The research in Vanikoro has been published in 2006 in collaboration with A. de Biran (Naufragés à Vanikoro, les rescapés de l'expédition Lapérouse à Païou, Nouméa 2006). In 2005 and 2006 he was appointed to conduct a survey of D'Entrecasteaux's expedition history at Recherche Bay the results of which will be published in mid-2007. |
In September 1791, the French Assembly decided to send an expedition in search of Lapérouse, who had not been out of communication since leaving Botany Bay in 1788. The French navigator, D'Entrecasteaux was selected to command the expedition and was given a frigate, La Recherche, which by late April 1792 had anchored in a Tasmanian harbour they named Recherche Bay.
The two stays that ensued in Recherche Bay during 1792 and 1793 were the longest halts to have occurred in an unknown land during the whole D'Entrecasteaux expedition. These explorations led to interactions with the Tasmanians and research of all natures conducted in and around the Bay for a total of nearly two months over the entire period of the expedition’s stays over a period of a year.
The reasons behind the stop, the logistic and research choices that were made, as well as the focus that was later placed on this part of the d’Entrecasteau voyage will be discussed in this paper to reveal the important issues underpinning this historical event.