CAMP WATCH: D’Urville

Kea Bradley un 1George Robbins deux 2Boyd Elvy trois 3Jessie Gatjens quatre 4Tyla-Rose Illsley-Slape cinq 5Maryanne Rimene-Solomon six 6

Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville

Intro: WHO WAS HE?

Life & Times: HOW DID HE COME TO THE MOHUA?

Legacy: WHAT WAS D’URVILLE’S LEGACY?

Abel Tasman sailed past in 1642, James Cook saw it in a fog in 1770, but Rear Admiral Dumontd'Urville was the first known European to anchor in its still waters in 1827 and record hisimpressions of the ‘majestic scene' surrounding them.

According to John and Hilary Mitchell in Te Tau Ihu o teWaka (Vol 1), when d'Urville anchored in Tasman Bay,the Māori in the area were possibly Ngati Kuia and/orNgati Apa, with Ngāti Tumatakokiri slaves.

D'Urville noticed the distinction commenting that, "halfof these people seemed to be of high rank, judging bytheir tattooing, and the distinguished appearance oftheir faces."

Intro: WHO WAS HE?

Life & Times: HOW DID HE COME TO THE MOHUA?

Legacy: WHAT WAS D’URVILLE’S LEGACY?

Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville(23 May 1790 – 8 May 1842)

• After the death of his father when d’Urville’s was six, his mother’s brother, the Abbot ofCroisilles, took charge of his education

• The Abbot taught him Latin, Greek, speaking and philosophy• Dumont studied encyclopedias and reports from explorers becoming very interested in them

• A naval officer, French explorer and later a rear admiral who explored the south andwestern Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica

• A botanist and cartographer he left his mark, naming plants, animals and many many places• He was the last of the English and French explorers to NZ, following Cook, de Surville and

du Fresne

• D’Urville made three major voyages – the second one brought him to Tasman’s Bay, Cook’sStrait and eventually his island

Intro: WHO WAS HE?

Life & Times: HOW DID HE COME TO THE MOHUA?

Legacy: WHAT WAS D’URVILLE’S LEGACY?

• French looking to regain some territory in the Pacific• European countries looking to grow scientific knowledge of

astronomy, lands, plants, animals and peoples

• D’Urville found his first way to NZ using maps made by earlierexplorers like Cook

• D’Urville was great at charting maps (cartographer)• He still used the same instruments though as Tasman and Cook

- the compass, sextant, hourglass and careful maths• Sailors still got very sick

Intro: WHO WAS HE?

Life & Times: HOW DID HE COME TO THE MOHUA?

Legacy: WHAT WAS D’URVILLE’S LEGACY?

• Jan 1827 after 20 000 km, D’Urville’s Astrolabe (was earlier the Coquille)came around Farewell Spit and anchored just off Marahau (AstrolabeRoadstead)

• Twenty-six of seventy-nine crew did not make it to NZ – conditions not great• Crew included scientists and an artist• Stayed only six days• They explored, charted and drew many pictures

• The French had good relations with local Māori and when the Astrolabe set sail on 22 January 1827, they were given an emotional and rowdy farewell

• They sailed across Tasman Bay to Rangitoto and very carefully sailed through what is now known as French Pass – the island of course named after him

Intro: WHO WAS HE?

Life & Times: HOW DID HE COME TO THE MOHUA?

Legacy: WHAT WAS D’URVILLE’S LEGACY?

Intro: WHO WAS HE?

Life & Times: HOW DID HE COME TO THE MOHUA?

Legacy: WHAT WAS D’URVILLE’S LEGACY?

• Collectively the early explorers made New Zealand sound like paradise• D’Urville especially helped with the Tasman Bay area• Following whalers and sealers, the NZ Company (Wakefield brothers) was bringing settlers• Forestry and farming were soon going to displace Maori• D’Urville is considered the true discoverer of Tasman Bay

• Apart from a very rich scientific legacy, d’Urville left many places in NZwith names of people and places dear to him…

• Abel Head, Adolphe Point, Ballon Rock, Coquille Bay, Cyathea Cove,Fisherman Island, Guilbert Point, Jules Point, Lesson Creek, SimonetCreek, Adele Island, Observation Point, Astrolabe Roadstead, SeparationPoint, French Pass, D’Urville Island and on it goes…

• Sadly he died with his whole family in the fiery Versailles train crash in 1842

www.otago.ac.nzhttp://history-nz.org/discovery5.htmlwww.Nz.etc.victoria.ac.nzhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Dumont_d'Urvillehttp://www.theprow.org.nzhttp://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/conservation/historic/by-region/nelson-marlborough/abel-tasman-area-history-whole-document.pdf

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