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London, Donington, Adelaide: The journey of Matthew Flinders' coffin plate

Captain Matthew Flinders (1774–1814) led the first circumnavigation of Australia, charting much of South Australia’s coast. His grave was rediscovered in London in 2019, identified by the engraved lead plate on his coffin. Reburied in 2024 with a replica plate, the original is now part of the South Australian State History Collection.

Members of the public can view it at Government House Adelaide at Open Day (Sunday, 12 October) with another to follow in May.

Captain Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), an English naval officer and maritime surveyor, made three Pacific voyages between 1791 and 1803. His most notable journey, from 1801 to 1803 aboard the HMS Investigator, marked the first recorded circumnavigation of what is now known as Australia.

Alongside Flinders sailed Bungaree, a Garigal man of Broken Bay, whose interpreting skills and cultural insight helped forge understanding with Aboriginal communities and secure the voyage’s success.

Flinders’ detailed charts and observations transformed European understanding of the continent.

Flinders, Matthew. A voyage to Terra Australis: Atlas – Plate IV. ‘Chart of Terra Australis. South Coast. Sheet III, 1802.’ State Library of South Australia, B12985211

After returning to England in 1810, following years of exploration and an enforced imprisonment on Mauritius, Flinders spent his last days writing his journal, A Voyage to Terra Australis.

Captain Flinders is recognised for his impressive accomplishments as a navigator and for advancing scientific knowledge of tides and maritime use of the compass and barometer.

Flinders' legacy endures in Australia, where his name is linked to over 200 topographical features and places, reflecting his extensive exploration, particularly along South Australia's coastline.

Matthew Flinders and His Cat Trim Statue, Port Lincoln.
Razorback Lookout, Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. Image: L. J. LaBarthe

Flinders died in 1814 at just 40 years of age, and was buried at St James’ Garden in London.

The adjacent area developed into London’s Euston station from 1837.

In January 2019, archaeologists excavated the former burial ground to prepare for a railway expansion.

They uncovered more than 30,000 graves, among them was Matthew Flinders’.

The engraved lead plate on his coffin survived in good condition and made his identification possible.

Name plates and handles were decorative features of nineteenth century coffins.

Captain Flinders’ remains were reburied in July 2024 in his hometown Donington, Lincolnshire, in a replica coffin with a facsimile coffin plate attached.

Captain Matthew Flinders' coffin plate.
Image: Government House

In July 2024, Captain Flinders’ remains were reburied at the Church of St Mary and the Holy Rood in his hometown of Donington, Lincolnshire, in a replica coffin with a facsimile plate attached.

At the service, the original coffin plate was accepted by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South and added to the State History Collection managed by the History Trust of South Australia.

Ms Martha Flinders-Lewis, representing the Flinders family, presents the original coffin’s breastplate to Her Excellency the Governor following the interment service of Captain Flinders in Donington, England, in July 2024.

Members of the public can view the coffin plate at the upcoming Open Day on Sunday, 12 October, from 10 am to 2 pm. It will also be on display at the Government House Open Day in May 2026; further details will be released closer to the date.


Header image: Portrait of Matthew Flinders, c.1800. Miniature by unknown artist, Collection of State Library of NSW (Min52).

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