A CELEBRATION OF THE HISTORY, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF RECHERCHE BAY
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Auditorium Hobart, Tasmania
26–28 February 2007

'Nothing left undone': The hydrographic charts of beautemps-beaupré
Dr Michael Pearson

Michael Pearson has worked for over 30 years as an archaeologist and conservation planner in the heritage field, with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Australian Heritage Commission, and since 1993 as head of Heritage Management Consultants Pty Ltd. Michael's work has focussed on research and planning for major public buildings and historic sites around Australia. He has published extensively, including Looking after Heritage Places, written with Sharon Sullivan, published by Melbourne University Press, and more recently Great Southern Land: The maritime exploration of Terra Australis published by the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage in 2005. Michael is a past President of Australia ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites), and is a member of ICOMOS’s International Polar Heritage Committee. He is Adjunct Professor of Cultural Heritage Management at the University of Canberra, and is the Chair of the ACT Heritage Council.

The charts made by Beautemps-Beaupré at Recherche Bay in 1792-93 have been praised both by his contemporaries and later commentators for their accuracy and beauty. The paper looks at the background to hydrographic surveying in the late eighteenth century, and how Beautemps-Beaupré's work compares with that of his near-contemporaries on the Australian coast – particularly Cook, Vancouver, Flinders and Baudin – to see if this reputation is deserved.

The eighteenth century saw dramatic improvements in surveying equipment, and the techniques of chart making were moving towards standardisation, which was achieved by the early decades of the nineteenth century. The distinction between 'running' surveys, as employed by all explorers (including Beautemps-Beaupré) when covering long stretches of coast in short periods of time, and the more time-consuming detailed 'harbour' surveys, is explained, and the achievements of hydrographers of the period in both techniques investigated. The impact on surveys of the distinction drawn between commander and hydrographer on French ships, compared with the British approach where they were one and the same officer, is investigated.

The excellence of Beautemps-Beaupré's detailed charts is attributed to his rigorous application and refinement of current best practice, combined with a precise and attractive draughting style. His detailed harbour surveys are superb, while his running surveys sometimes suffer from his commander's reluctance to close with the coast and ensure the continuity of the running survey.