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Flinders
The extraordinary life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the map
In 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by the deprivations of years of imprisonment by the French. Four years later, at the age of just 40, he would be dead - a premature, tragic end to one of the world's greatest maritime adventurers who circumnavigated and mapped the famed Great Southern Land, and whose naming of the vast continent would become its modern Australia.
Flinders took to the sea at age 16, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe and the adventures of Captain Cook, swiftly climbing the ranks to fight in a decisive naval battle of the French Revolutionary wars. After sailing to Tahiti with William Bligh, Flinders was drawn to adventure, and by 1801 he was in command of an expedition to uncover the true nature of the great continent of the southern ocean.
This sweeping biography tells the story of the fearless, sharp-eyed, handsome Flinders and how he became one of the world's most intrepid explorers. It's a story of a great love for the sea, for connection and of friendship - accompanied by his Aboriginal interpreter and guide, Kuringgai man Bungaree, and his beloved rescue cat, Trim, Flinders explored the furthest reaches and rugged coastlines of Australia. It's also a story of technical brilliance - Flinders' meticulous charts gave us the first complete maps of our continent, which are so accurate they are still used today.
But rushing home to England to his adored wife, Ann, Flinders was trapped and incarcerated off the coast of Africa as a prisoner of war, ultimately denied celebration of his great achievement. His love for Ann, and his fight to escape his bonds to be with her again was the last great adventure of a fascinating life.
From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of Banks, Banjo, Hudson Fysh and Monash, Flinders is a rollicking tale of a man who loved the sea, and adored his family - and pushed himself to the limits of human endeavour to show it.
In 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by the deprivations of years of imprisonment by the French. Four years later, at the age of just 40, he would be dead - a premature, tragic end to one of the world's greatest maritime adventurers who circumnavigated and mapped the famed Great Southern Land, and whose naming of the vast continent would become its modern Australia.
Flinders took to the sea at age 16, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe and the adventures of Captain Cook, swiftly climbing the ranks to fight in a decisive naval battle of the French Revolutionary wars. After sailing to Tahiti with William Bligh, Flinders was drawn to adventure, and by 1801 he was in command of an expedition to uncover the true nature of the great continent of the southern ocean.
This sweeping biography tells the story of the fearless, sharp-eyed, handsome Flinders and how he became one of the world's most intrepid explorers. It's a story of a great love for the sea, for connection and of friendship - accompanied by his Aboriginal interpreter and guide, Kuringgai man Bungaree, and his beloved rescue cat, Trim, Flinders explored the furthest reaches and rugged coastlines of Australia. It's also a story of technical brilliance - Flinders' meticulous charts gave us the first complete maps of our continent, which are so accurate they are still used today.
But rushing home to England to his adored wife, Ann, Flinders was trapped and incarcerated off the coast of Africa as a prisoner of war, ultimately denied celebration of his great achievement. His love for Ann, and his fight to escape his bonds to be with her again was the last great adventure of a fascinating life.
From the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of Banks, Banjo, Hudson Fysh and Monash, Flinders is a rollicking tale of a man who loved the sea, and adored his family - and pushed himself to the limits of human endeavour to show it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 4, 2024
Flinders by Grantlee Kieza is a fantastic new biography of the life and voyages of Matthew Flinders.
Inspired by the tales he read as a young boy of Robinson Cruscoe and the adventures of Captain Cook.
Matthew sets sail on his very own adventure of a lifetime sailing to all over the South Pacific, Indian Ocean and to the Land Down Under, Australia.
Flinders helped to explore and map the continent of Australia.
His life was very difficult in Mauritius and he was imprisoned for almost a decade.
His love for his wife, Ann, however, never waned.
I'm sure you'll enjoy the relationship between Flinders and his companion, Trim, the cat. 🐈⬛️
I absolutely enjoyed this story and the way it was expertly written by Grantlee Kieza.
Inspired by the tales he read as a young boy of Robinson Cruscoe and the adventures of Captain Cook.
Matthew sets sail on his very own adventure of a lifetime sailing to all over the South Pacific, Indian Ocean and to the Land Down Under, Australia.
Flinders helped to explore and map the continent of Australia.
His life was very difficult in Mauritius and he was imprisoned for almost a decade.
His love for his wife, Ann, however, never waned.
I'm sure you'll enjoy the relationship between Flinders and his companion, Trim, the cat. 🐈⬛️
I absolutely enjoyed this story and the way it was expertly written by Grantlee Kieza.
January 2, 2024
Grantlee Kieza is a brilliant writer, and the more I read his books the more I wish to keep on doing so! His books are not just hard, cold impersonal histories but are written in such a way that you feel like 'a fly on the wall', like you really know the various 'heroes' he portrays and become invested in their lives.
Flinders was an absolutely brilliant man: determined, focussed, resilient, meticulous, assertive,
and impetuous. (Unfortunately, some of the traits that led to his many successes also prevented him from reaching his full potential, either directly or indirectly.) One cannot help but stand in awe of his achievements, but at the same time, he feels very approachable, and I think Trim plays a large part in this - oh, how I would have loved to see this cat in action as he travelled around the world with Matthew Flinders.
I have previously read Hudson Fysh, Banks, Macquarie and The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, and now of course, Flinders. Of these five, Banks and Flinders are definitely my favourites, (closely followed by Hudson Fysh). They lived in such exciting times and these two men embraced the challenges before them, changing the way we see and understand the world and whose actions and discoveries continue to impact our lives more than 200 years later.
Flinders was an absolutely brilliant man: determined, focussed, resilient, meticulous, assertive,
and impetuous. (Unfortunately, some of the traits that led to his many successes also prevented him from reaching his full potential, either directly or indirectly.) One cannot help but stand in awe of his achievements, but at the same time, he feels very approachable, and I think Trim plays a large part in this - oh, how I would have loved to see this cat in action as he travelled around the world with Matthew Flinders.
I have previously read Hudson Fysh, Banks, Macquarie and The Remarkable Mrs Reibey, and now of course, Flinders. Of these five, Banks and Flinders are definitely my favourites, (closely followed by Hudson Fysh). They lived in such exciting times and these two men embraced the challenges before them, changing the way we see and understand the world and whose actions and discoveries continue to impact our lives more than 200 years later.
February 28, 2024
While this is a long historical read about the man who named “Australia”, Matthew Flinders, it is by no means boring or heavy, rather the author combines well the events of the times such as the wars between France and England, the exploration rivalry that given a different set of circumstances Australians could well have been speaking French. There would not have been a convict settlement for the poor sods of the English system who were sent to the ends of the earth to a dry and hostile environment.
The English were still seething at their loss of the American colonies and for whom the French assisted in their cause against the English. The account enters into the time of Napoleon and his conquests and subsequent war with England. Matthew Flinders also encountered the Balcombes on St Helena where Napoleon was finally sent. [After the Balcombes were recalled to England and ostracised due to their friendship with Napoleon who was left to die a dreadful death, the English hated him, the Balcombes finally settled in Australia bringing Napoleonic memorabilia with them for which copies are on view at the cottage owned by Emma and Alexander Balcombe “The Briars”, Mt. Martha in Victoria.]
Matthew's father was a doctor and he had plans for his son to follow in his footsteps but as a young teenager Matthew announced he wanted to go to sea, so obsessed was he with the story of Robinson Crusoe and the discoveries made by Captain Cook, he wanted that life. Of course it took money and connections. Fortunately he did have a benefactor who had the connections and his father supplied the necessary financial means for uniforms etc. He joined the Royal Navy at just fifteen years.
The family was pretty typical of the day, women seemed to be constantly pregnant and such was the Flinders family with often the misfortune of babies dying at birth or very young and women also. Matthew's mother died quite young and his father remarried to start yet another family.
The book details Flinders voyages giving insight into what seems today pretty rickety ships. He didn't seem to ever have a solid reliable one, rather his were former industrial or slave ships refurbished and patched up, the Investigator had been a coal ship.
Flinders seemed to be an impetuous young man and looked for fame and glory before it was due. What kept him grounded was his superiors, he was on friendly terms with Sir Joseph Banks famed botanist and Baronet. Banks was President of the Royal Society and while he had no official position in the Navy, as a naturalist of great standing he had considerable influence with King George III and the Admiralty. Flinders wrote to Sir Joseph Banks proposing a voyage to make a full and accurate chart of New Holland, (Australia). Banks approved the proposal and the Admiralty agreed and ordered a ship, the Investigator, to be made ready and at the suggestion of Banks, appointed the young, now a lieutenant, Matthew Flinders as the commander of the expedition.
He was incarcerated for nearly seven years by the belligerent General De Caen, governor of Mauritius, then a French colony due to Flinders’ incorrect paperwork and charged as a spy when he had arrived with a limping ship. This created another problem by putting stress on his new marriage. Ann had been reluctant to marry a navy man due to her experience with her father, always absent. Flinders had tried to sneak her on board when leaving England but in doing so and being discovered brought condemnation from the Navy and Banks. Ann was left behind and returned to her home.
All this aside, one cannot help but marvel at the tenacity and bravery of this young man and his crew who navigated the coastline of Australia to prove that it was an island continent, braving the terrible conditions that can come from the Antarctic, through Bass Strait that separates the mainland from Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and the southern coastline of Victoria where the winds can fair blow you off the face of the earth. Then of course there is the Great Barrier Reef from the tip of northeastern Australia to the southern end for 2,300 kms (1,429 miles) over an area of approximately 214,042.752 sq kms (133,000 sq miles). He had just the basic navigating equipment of the time with Flinders discovering the differences in magnetic changes due to the ship's iron component and proposed the use of iron bars be used to compensate for the magnetic deviations.
While Flinders never received any prestigious or rightful recognition for his achievements while alive by the English government and for his years of continued service from fifteen years old to his death at just forty years and for mapping the continent of Australia, he is a celebrated icon in the country that he so named with over 100 places and geographical sites named in his honour. (During his expeditions he never named a new discovery in his own name).
He died of kidney disease and sadly did not see all his work published.
His maps are still in use today, particularly the northern tip of Australia and surrounding islands.
In death he still travels and in 2024 he will be reburied for the third time, hopefully along with the ghost of his famous cat Trim.
“BBC NEWS… Flinders' coffin will be carried by Royal Navy pall bearers during the service at St Mary and the Holy Rood Church in Donington on 13 July 2024, with services for children and the village either side of the interment”......Flinders joined the navy aged 15 and he made several coastal explorations of Australia, completing the circumnavigation in 1803.”
The English were still seething at their loss of the American colonies and for whom the French assisted in their cause against the English. The account enters into the time of Napoleon and his conquests and subsequent war with England. Matthew Flinders also encountered the Balcombes on St Helena where Napoleon was finally sent. [After the Balcombes were recalled to England and ostracised due to their friendship with Napoleon who was left to die a dreadful death, the English hated him, the Balcombes finally settled in Australia bringing Napoleonic memorabilia with them for which copies are on view at the cottage owned by Emma and Alexander Balcombe “The Briars”, Mt. Martha in Victoria.]
Matthew's father was a doctor and he had plans for his son to follow in his footsteps but as a young teenager Matthew announced he wanted to go to sea, so obsessed was he with the story of Robinson Crusoe and the discoveries made by Captain Cook, he wanted that life. Of course it took money and connections. Fortunately he did have a benefactor who had the connections and his father supplied the necessary financial means for uniforms etc. He joined the Royal Navy at just fifteen years.
The family was pretty typical of the day, women seemed to be constantly pregnant and such was the Flinders family with often the misfortune of babies dying at birth or very young and women also. Matthew's mother died quite young and his father remarried to start yet another family.
The book details Flinders voyages giving insight into what seems today pretty rickety ships. He didn't seem to ever have a solid reliable one, rather his were former industrial or slave ships refurbished and patched up, the Investigator had been a coal ship.
Flinders seemed to be an impetuous young man and looked for fame and glory before it was due. What kept him grounded was his superiors, he was on friendly terms with Sir Joseph Banks famed botanist and Baronet. Banks was President of the Royal Society and while he had no official position in the Navy, as a naturalist of great standing he had considerable influence with King George III and the Admiralty. Flinders wrote to Sir Joseph Banks proposing a voyage to make a full and accurate chart of New Holland, (Australia). Banks approved the proposal and the Admiralty agreed and ordered a ship, the Investigator, to be made ready and at the suggestion of Banks, appointed the young, now a lieutenant, Matthew Flinders as the commander of the expedition.
He was incarcerated for nearly seven years by the belligerent General De Caen, governor of Mauritius, then a French colony due to Flinders’ incorrect paperwork and charged as a spy when he had arrived with a limping ship. This created another problem by putting stress on his new marriage. Ann had been reluctant to marry a navy man due to her experience with her father, always absent. Flinders had tried to sneak her on board when leaving England but in doing so and being discovered brought condemnation from the Navy and Banks. Ann was left behind and returned to her home.
All this aside, one cannot help but marvel at the tenacity and bravery of this young man and his crew who navigated the coastline of Australia to prove that it was an island continent, braving the terrible conditions that can come from the Antarctic, through Bass Strait that separates the mainland from Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and the southern coastline of Victoria where the winds can fair blow you off the face of the earth. Then of course there is the Great Barrier Reef from the tip of northeastern Australia to the southern end for 2,300 kms (1,429 miles) over an area of approximately 214,042.752 sq kms (133,000 sq miles). He had just the basic navigating equipment of the time with Flinders discovering the differences in magnetic changes due to the ship's iron component and proposed the use of iron bars be used to compensate for the magnetic deviations.
While Flinders never received any prestigious or rightful recognition for his achievements while alive by the English government and for his years of continued service from fifteen years old to his death at just forty years and for mapping the continent of Australia, he is a celebrated icon in the country that he so named with over 100 places and geographical sites named in his honour. (During his expeditions he never named a new discovery in his own name).
He died of kidney disease and sadly did not see all his work published.
His maps are still in use today, particularly the northern tip of Australia and surrounding islands.
In death he still travels and in 2024 he will be reburied for the third time, hopefully along with the ghost of his famous cat Trim.
“BBC NEWS… Flinders' coffin will be carried by Royal Navy pall bearers during the service at St Mary and the Holy Rood Church in Donington on 13 July 2024, with services for children and the village either side of the interment”......Flinders joined the navy aged 15 and he made several coastal explorations of Australia, completing the circumnavigation in 1803.”
November 22, 2023
Goodreads Reviews, ‘Flinders’ by Grantlee Kieza
‘Flinders’ by Grantlee Kieza is a wonderfully, entertaining and informative narrative history of the great maritime adventurer Mathew Flinders. Flinders mapped more than just the Australian Continent, he was fearless, intrepid who had a great love affair with the sea. Flinders was born in the late stages of the 18th century and came to promise in the early part of the 19th century. I have read Grantlee Kieza’s history of Sir Joseph Banks and his fantastic gruelling biography of the Australian poet, Henry Lawson (which of the three books is my favourite). Kieza’s book on Flinders offers a casual reader of history and engrossing and highly entertaining and enjoyable reading experience. It is perfect for an in-depth introduction to biographical history. The biography is written with a strong sense of narrative, it is great storytelling. I assume/imagine at the headquarters of the cultural Stasi there are harsh words for this genre of popular history. It is an introduction to a man who achieved so much. A successful man with flaws galore. He lives in the history of his time. Kieza goes into great detail about how the British with their incessant hunger for empire by any means necessary was balanced by individuals like Flinders who at the coalface of empire attempted to balance the excessive demands of the politicians. Flinders had an incredible career and he achieved so much. In many ways of heroes he was cast aside and spurned by the very nation that revelled in his successes. Flinders spent eight years as a prisoner of the French and once repatriated had only a short time left before he died at the very young age of forty. A fascinating and gripping read. Narrative history at its finest. I highly recommend this biography for readers who are looking for an insightful and enjoyable introduction to history. Bought at Big W Library for $29.00. Enjoy.
‘Flinders’ by Grantlee Kieza is a wonderfully, entertaining and informative narrative history of the great maritime adventurer Mathew Flinders. Flinders mapped more than just the Australian Continent, he was fearless, intrepid who had a great love affair with the sea. Flinders was born in the late stages of the 18th century and came to promise in the early part of the 19th century. I have read Grantlee Kieza’s history of Sir Joseph Banks and his fantastic gruelling biography of the Australian poet, Henry Lawson (which of the three books is my favourite). Kieza’s book on Flinders offers a casual reader of history and engrossing and highly entertaining and enjoyable reading experience. It is perfect for an in-depth introduction to biographical history. The biography is written with a strong sense of narrative, it is great storytelling. I assume/imagine at the headquarters of the cultural Stasi there are harsh words for this genre of popular history. It is an introduction to a man who achieved so much. A successful man with flaws galore. He lives in the history of his time. Kieza goes into great detail about how the British with their incessant hunger for empire by any means necessary was balanced by individuals like Flinders who at the coalface of empire attempted to balance the excessive demands of the politicians. Flinders had an incredible career and he achieved so much. In many ways of heroes he was cast aside and spurned by the very nation that revelled in his successes. Flinders spent eight years as a prisoner of the French and once repatriated had only a short time left before he died at the very young age of forty. A fascinating and gripping read. Narrative history at its finest. I highly recommend this biography for readers who are looking for an insightful and enjoyable introduction to history. Bought at Big W Library for $29.00. Enjoy.
July 15, 2024
A well written biography of Mathew Flinders , the great explorer of the Australia.
Interesting facts on his personal life and family.
I have read nearly all of the authors books. Very good writing.
Interesting facts on his personal life and family.
I have read nearly all of the authors books. Very good writing.
November 3, 2023
Read it in 2 days - absolutely outstanding account of a great figure and a good man
February 4, 2024
A great book interesting facts, entertaining as well as adventure galore.
January 28, 2024
Wonderful biography of Matthew Flinders - exploration of Australia is incredible.
January 7, 2024
He led an extraordinary life, voyaging through seas and territories previously unknown to Europeans, experiencing many dangers and hardships. He adopted the name Australia for the southern continent he spent so much of his time exploring and he urged the authorities to do likewise.
The aspect of Flinders’ personality that I most admire, though, is that he was a man whose greatest wish was that his work, his charts and discoveries, would be used for the benefit of science and the greater knowledge of humanity in general, not for warfare or domination. In this, of course, he was disappointed, but he lived his life in the service and pursuit of knowledge.
Flinders is a finely researched and well-written account of a fascinating figure of Australian colonial history, the man who – quite literally – put Australia on the map.
The aspect of Flinders’ personality that I most admire, though, is that he was a man whose greatest wish was that his work, his charts and discoveries, would be used for the benefit of science and the greater knowledge of humanity in general, not for warfare or domination. In this, of course, he was disappointed, but he lived his life in the service and pursuit of knowledge.
Flinders is a finely researched and well-written account of a fascinating figure of Australian colonial history, the man who – quite literally – put Australia on the map.
April 6, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading this book as an audiobook. Which was thoughtfully read with the expressionistic lilt of Peter Houghton. Having to read such an in depth story was made easier as an audiobook.
The book is yes fascinatingly detailed and provides so much background to Matthews intriguing life.
I felt very invested in this story and was not disappointed. By the end, I felt very moved by Matthews endeavours and his long lasting legacies of navigation and the perilous journeys he made.
The book is yes fascinatingly detailed and provides so much background to Matthews intriguing life.
I felt very invested in this story and was not disappointed. By the end, I felt very moved by Matthews endeavours and his long lasting legacies of navigation and the perilous journeys he made.
January 28, 2024
Really enjoyed the read. I learned quite a lot of Mathew Flinders that of course I had not known before. Amazing navigator and chart maker. So sad he only lived to 40. Easily read. Of great interest to us Aussies.
October 30, 2023
Outstanding story of a great adventurer - and his cat!
March 7, 2024
4.5 stars. A very well written, informative biography of Mathew Flinders, a maritime adventurer who mapped a large part of Australia in the early 1800s.
Flinders has a number of adventures along the eastern coast of Australia, including being shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef. He has a number of confrontations with Australian aborigines. He has a faithful cat in ‘Trim’, who accompanies Flinders on a number of Finders sea adventures. When he returns to England, he marries Ann, but finds he cannot take her back to Australia for the further mapping of Australia.
His pride, bad luck and lack of diplomacy find him imprisoned by the French on Mauritius, for a substantial time.
A fascinating, entertaining book. Highly recommended.
This book was first published in 2023.
Flinders has a number of adventures along the eastern coast of Australia, including being shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef. He has a number of confrontations with Australian aborigines. He has a faithful cat in ‘Trim’, who accompanies Flinders on a number of Finders sea adventures. When he returns to England, he marries Ann, but finds he cannot take her back to Australia for the further mapping of Australia.
His pride, bad luck and lack of diplomacy find him imprisoned by the French on Mauritius, for a substantial time.
A fascinating, entertaining book. Highly recommended.
This book was first published in 2023.
September 22, 2024
Fascinating.
August 22, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed Kieza’s writing style. The subject matter could’ve been tedious, but his writing style made the academic, detailed contents a pleasure to read. Matthew Flinders’ life and achievements are well known and documented, this volume includes footnotes and many references - for those that enjoy reading history, there are many primary sources to follow up.
August 15, 2024
What a fabulous read. Although this book looks quite long n dry it is not. The writing style is quite light. However, Kiera makes interesting and weaves a story that includes all the expected facts and figures. I like the inclusion of indigenous Australians which includes some explanation of what they may have thought about events foisted on them and why they may have acted as they did.
May 13, 2024
Very interesting, love these books
August 3, 2024
‘The life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the map.’
Captain Mathew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer. He was involved in several voyages of discovery between 1791 and 1803. His two most famous voyages are the one he undertook with George Bass that proved that Van Diemen’s Land was an island, and his circumnavigation and mapping of mainland Australia. Some of his maps are still in use.
‘Matthew Flinders grew up in Lincolnshire’s fens, marshlands where grass rose out of the water, and where the water stretched to the North Sea and across to the coast of Flanders, where his family had originated.’
Matthew Flinders is a hero of mine, and I have read quite a few books about him, his voyages, and his cat Trim. This is a detailed biography of Matthew Flinders, including his background and influences. In this book, Mr Kieza assesses the man as well as his voyages, and makes it clear that Matthew Flinders did not always exercise good judgment:
‘From the time he defied his father’s wishes to go to sea, to his attempts to smuggle Ann aboard the Investigator, to his hurried and aborted trip home on the Cumberland, Matthew’s driving ambition, his arrogance and his impetuousness caused most of his problems in life.’
In 1803, while returning to Britain, Flinders was arrested by the French governor of the Isle de France. He was under arrest for more than six years. During his captivity, he recorded details of his voyages for future publication and put forward his rationale for naming the new continent ‘Australia’. His suggestion was later adopted. Unfortunately, Flinders’s health suffered. He made his way back to England, to his wife Ann, in 1810 but died not long after his fortieth birthday in 1814.
At the end of his book, Mr Kieza mentions that although the location of Matthew Flinders’s grave had been lost by the mid-19th century, an excavation of a former burial ground near London’s Euston station led to his remains being identified. On the 13th of July 2024, Matthew Flinders was reburied in Donington, Lincolnshire, the village of his birth.
I enjoyed reading this biography and learning more about Matthew Flinders the man, as well as Matthew Flinders the explorer.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Captain Mathew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer. He was involved in several voyages of discovery between 1791 and 1803. His two most famous voyages are the one he undertook with George Bass that proved that Van Diemen’s Land was an island, and his circumnavigation and mapping of mainland Australia. Some of his maps are still in use.
‘Matthew Flinders grew up in Lincolnshire’s fens, marshlands where grass rose out of the water, and where the water stretched to the North Sea and across to the coast of Flanders, where his family had originated.’
Matthew Flinders is a hero of mine, and I have read quite a few books about him, his voyages, and his cat Trim. This is a detailed biography of Matthew Flinders, including his background and influences. In this book, Mr Kieza assesses the man as well as his voyages, and makes it clear that Matthew Flinders did not always exercise good judgment:
‘From the time he defied his father’s wishes to go to sea, to his attempts to smuggle Ann aboard the Investigator, to his hurried and aborted trip home on the Cumberland, Matthew’s driving ambition, his arrogance and his impetuousness caused most of his problems in life.’
In 1803, while returning to Britain, Flinders was arrested by the French governor of the Isle de France. He was under arrest for more than six years. During his captivity, he recorded details of his voyages for future publication and put forward his rationale for naming the new continent ‘Australia’. His suggestion was later adopted. Unfortunately, Flinders’s health suffered. He made his way back to England, to his wife Ann, in 1810 but died not long after his fortieth birthday in 1814.
At the end of his book, Mr Kieza mentions that although the location of Matthew Flinders’s grave had been lost by the mid-19th century, an excavation of a former burial ground near London’s Euston station led to his remains being identified. On the 13th of July 2024, Matthew Flinders was reburied in Donington, Lincolnshire, the village of his birth.
I enjoyed reading this biography and learning more about Matthew Flinders the man, as well as Matthew Flinders the explorer.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 31, 2025
What an outstanding biography of the storied life of Matthew Flinders, one of the fathers of Australia. He was such an interesting figure in this nation’s history that I considered it an honour to hear his story, up close and personal and crafted so well by Kieza.
Matthew Flinders was dedicated to the crown and driven by something special within his soul that is hard to describe. He had a unique tenacity for high seas exploration and tended to literally jump in headfirst, putting the consequences of his actions to worry about on another day. Some of the consequences proved to be considerable.
So, yes, his accomplishments were pretty incredible…the first to circumnavigate Australia, the first to circumnavigate modern day Tasmania and prove it to be an island (with Bass) and is the man who gave Australia its name and lobbied significantly to maintain its name as thus. He did all of the above by age 29, which is amazing.
He was also multitalented as a navigator, naval captain, cartographer, scientist, mathematician, astronomer, survivalist, linguist…the list goes on and on. Did I mention that he was clearly a pet lover too? His brave, loyal and lovely cat Trim featured in his journals and the famous feline is given his proper due in this book as well.
As much as I was glued to the story of this great explorer, the author drew me in even closer to the material by using a famous quote to usher in a new chapter. The author also made exquisite use of the historical correspondence between Matthew and Anne Flinders along with many other letters between Matthew and his contemporaries over the years of his naval service from the young age of 15 to his untimely passing at just 40. I found it all captivating.
This is yet another terrific historical biography written by Grantlee Kieza. I have already read three others of his: Macquarie, Banks and Hudson Fysh. I would say that there is no doubt that Flinders is my favourite offering. I highly recommend this superb biography of Mathew Flinders as it captures one of history’s most storied explorers to utter perfection.
Matthew Flinders was dedicated to the crown and driven by something special within his soul that is hard to describe. He had a unique tenacity for high seas exploration and tended to literally jump in headfirst, putting the consequences of his actions to worry about on another day. Some of the consequences proved to be considerable.
So, yes, his accomplishments were pretty incredible…the first to circumnavigate Australia, the first to circumnavigate modern day Tasmania and prove it to be an island (with Bass) and is the man who gave Australia its name and lobbied significantly to maintain its name as thus. He did all of the above by age 29, which is amazing.
He was also multitalented as a navigator, naval captain, cartographer, scientist, mathematician, astronomer, survivalist, linguist…the list goes on and on. Did I mention that he was clearly a pet lover too? His brave, loyal and lovely cat Trim featured in his journals and the famous feline is given his proper due in this book as well.
As much as I was glued to the story of this great explorer, the author drew me in even closer to the material by using a famous quote to usher in a new chapter. The author also made exquisite use of the historical correspondence between Matthew and Anne Flinders along with many other letters between Matthew and his contemporaries over the years of his naval service from the young age of 15 to his untimely passing at just 40. I found it all captivating.
This is yet another terrific historical biography written by Grantlee Kieza. I have already read three others of his: Macquarie, Banks and Hudson Fysh. I would say that there is no doubt that Flinders is my favourite offering. I highly recommend this superb biography of Mathew Flinders as it captures one of history’s most storied explorers to utter perfection.
January 17, 2025
Gosh, so interesting, a LOT of history that I was unaware of. Kieza takes you through the trips and tribulations of Flinders. Fortunate to have his own writings to draw from yet Kieza also manages to weave this into a story for modern readers.
The encounters with indigenous people, oh my goodness, it was just so..... definitely another era and thoughts around them. (Horrific even, eg taking the head of one of the indigenous people as a 'trophy' back to England). How the English were all about plundering, killing, taking & seeing what they could get out of the land. Just wow. It was eye opening.
Also the life of women in England. Oh. My. Was it HARD! If you were pregnant you weren't sure if you were going to live. Good lord. Many died young, worked hard, had little if any opportunity. then there were the women taken - eg by one captain from Sydney (she was young and a convict) and she was nothing more than a sex slave to him & the sailors. Oh. My. God.
Male privilege at first hand, no wonder it's so entrenched. Generationally.
I was also interested at how, almost randomly, place names were assigned to new discoveries, many of 'dignitaries' (male of course) that had never been here.
I would have liked a map, not just the small one on the inside cover. Kieza talks about the various places, but it would have been useful to have have a map of the coast he's talking about.
The encounters with indigenous people, oh my goodness, it was just so..... definitely another era and thoughts around them. (Horrific even, eg taking the head of one of the indigenous people as a 'trophy' back to England). How the English were all about plundering, killing, taking & seeing what they could get out of the land. Just wow. It was eye opening.
Also the life of women in England. Oh. My. Was it HARD! If you were pregnant you weren't sure if you were going to live. Good lord. Many died young, worked hard, had little if any opportunity. then there were the women taken - eg by one captain from Sydney (she was young and a convict) and she was nothing more than a sex slave to him & the sailors. Oh. My. God.
Male privilege at first hand, no wonder it's so entrenched. Generationally.
I was also interested at how, almost randomly, place names were assigned to new discoveries, many of 'dignitaries' (male of course) that had never been here.
I would have liked a map, not just the small one on the inside cover. Kieza talks about the various places, but it would have been useful to have have a map of the coast he's talking about.
January 24, 2024
Flinders seems to have been a young, cocky mariner who missed more opportunities than he gained. To me, his exploits seem rather unimpressive and meager compared to other explorers of Australia during this time - not sure where all of the hype comes from regarding Flinders, as he seems to have been mired by failure more than success.
On top of that, the writing for this book was a bit lackluster, and I think entirely too much time was dedicated to talking about his cat. I struggled to get through this one on all fronts. The title says his life was “fascinating” - I can say that that is a gross overstatement.
On top of that, the writing for this book was a bit lackluster, and I think entirely too much time was dedicated to talking about his cat. I struggled to get through this one on all fronts. The title says his life was “fascinating” - I can say that that is a gross overstatement.
January 26, 2025
This book is a valuable account of an ambitious Matthew Flinders life-long mission to map the entire continent of Australia with a companion dog named Trim. His success in maintaining the health of his crewmen through careful planning and good diet gave him a huge advantage over his French counterparts attempting the similar navigations at the same time. His encounters with the first Australians at various locations- attempts to engage with them, and when to steer clear - are fascinating, given the book draws directly from his personal letters to colleagues and family.
March 6, 2025
Listened as audio book. Flinders seemed far more of a modern person than you'd expect. He looked to share information, could comprise, had a pet cat and didn't seem quite as murderous of Australia's original inhabitants as your average white explorer. Brave, intelligent, surving many ordeals except the last. The book has a lot of detail as Grantlee's books do which honours the subject while acknowledging their faults. Simply told. So sad that after so much hard work, Flinders never made it back home to his wife.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
Surprised that only two chapters cover the circumnavigation of the Australia. Was left wanting to know more about what happened on one of the most ground breaking explorations of the age. Otherwise a great read. Devoured the book.
September 7, 2024
Good to find out more about the life and work of this icon
September 25, 2024
Good book about the great explorer who mapped Australia. Strangely there are no maps.
September 25, 2024
4.5 rounded up
December 14, 2024
Flinders is even more fascinating than I thought he was. Great to listen to and one I will keep on my shelves.
March 30, 2025
this is a great book
Wonderfully researched and written. It’s so good to have his journals interpreted in a modern way. What an incredible life.
Wonderfully researched and written. It’s so good to have his journals interpreted in a modern way. What an incredible life.
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