A large, impressive monument together with a viewing area marks the spot where Matthew Flinders first observed Port Phillip from a height. From this location he noted the bay’s characteristics and landmarks – naming what is now known as the Bellarine Peninsula “Indented Head”. The location is surrounded by a beautiful She-Oak woodland, and is accessed via stunning pathways that lead to the cairn and amazing views – it really feels that they do justice to the significant event that they remember.
TUESDAY 27 APRIL 1802:
” . . . The mud bank where the ship had grounded is distinct from the middle shoal; but I am not certain that it is so from the south shore, from which it is one mile distant. The Bluff Mount (named Arthur’s Seat by Mr. Murray, from a supposed resemblance to the hill of that name near Edinburgh) bore S. 76° E.; but from thence the shore trended northward so far that the land at the head of the port could not be seen even from aloft. Before proceeding any higher with the ship I wished to gain some knowledge of the form and extent of this great piece of water; and Arthur’s Seat being more than a thousand feet high and near the water-side, presented a favourable station for that purpose.
After breakfast I went away in a boat, accompanied by Mr. Brown and some other gentlemen, for the Seat. It was seven or eight miles from the ship; and in steering nearly a straight course for it we passed over the northern skirt of the shoal where the ship had touched; but afterwards had from 7 to 5 fathoms nearly to the shore. Having observed the latitude there from an artificial horizon, I ascended the hill; and to my surprise found the port so extensive, that even at this elevation its boundary to the northward could not be distinguished. The western shore extended from the entrance ten or eleven miles in a northern direction to the extremity of what, from its appearance, I called Indented Head; beyond it was a wide branch of the port leading to the westward, and I suspected might have a communication with the sea; for it was almost incredible that such a vast piece of water should not have a larger outlet than that through which we had come.
I took an extensive set of bearings from the clearest place to be found on the north-western, bluff part of the hill; and we afterwards walked a little way back upon the ridge. From thence another considerable piece of water was seen, at the distance of three or four leagues; it seemed to be mostly shallow; but as it appeared to have a communication with the sea to the south, I had no doubt of its being Mr. Bass’s Western Port.
Arthur’s Seat and the hills and vallies in its neighbourhood were generally well covered with wood; and the soil was superior to any upon the borders of the salt water which I have had an opportunity of examining in Terra Australis. There were many marks of natives, such as deserted fire-places and heaps of oyster shells; and upon the peninsula which forms the south side of the port a smoke was rising, but we did not see any of the people. Quantities of fine oysters were lying upon the beaches, between high and low water marks, and appeared to have been washed up by the surf; a circumstance which I do not recollect to have observed in any other part of this country . . . “
Source: Excerpt – “A Voyage to Terra Australis” – Volume I – by Matthew Flinders – Chapter 9 – published 1814
The above extract of Matthew Flinders book describes his ascent of Arthurs Seat to observe and examine the “vast piece of water” he had found. It’s hard to imagine how hard and what a huge exertion this would have been following months at sea . . .
The adjacent positioning of the two bays on Victoria’s southern coast being Port Phillip and Western Port, confused a number of the first explorers. By climbing Arthurs Seat, Matthew Flinders could confirm that the bay he viewed to the east of Arthurs Seat was in fact “Mr. Bass’s Western Port”, and, that that lay to his west, was a new and uncharted harbour until:
” . . . The extensive harbour we had thus unexpectedly found I supposed must be Western Port, although the narrowness of the entrance did by no means correspond with the width given to it by Mr. Bass. It was the information of captain Baudin, who had coasted along from thence with fine weather, and had found no inlet of any kind, which induced this supposition; and the very great extent of the place, agreeing with that of Western Port, was in confirmation of it. This, however, was not Western Port, as we found next morning [TUESDAY 27 APRIL 1802]; and I congratulated myself on having made a new and useful discovery; but here again I was in error. This place, as I afterwards learned at Port Jackson, had been discovered ten weeks before by lieutenant John Murray, who had succeeded captain Grant in the command of the Lady Nelson. He had given it the name of PORT PHILLIP, and to the rocky point on the east side of the entrance that of Point Nepean . . . “
Source: Excerpt – “A Voyage to Terra Australis” – Volume I – by Matthew Flinders – Chapter 9 – published 1814
Hume and Hovell were also in total disagreement as to the body of water they found during their expedition of 1824. Hume correctly noting that it must be Port Phillip due to the fact that there was no island in the middle of the bay they had encountered – the older and higher ranked Hovell insisting that it was Western Port . . . Two years later Hovell would be involved in the failed settlement attempt in the Corinella region of Western Port due to the apparent knowledge of the area he had gained from his previous tour – it was, of course, not the area he had previously experienced.
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Franklin’s Return . . .
The following extract explains the significance of the statement on the plaque that reads ” . . . Franklin verified this Spot in 1844 . . . “:
” . . . A visit made to Arthur’s Seat in 1844 by Sir John Franklin gives the place an additional historical interest. His term as Governor of Tasmania was at an end, and he had come to Victoria to visit some friends. Among them was Captain James Reid, who had taken up a cattle run and built a home on the stream now known as Balcombe’s Creek. One day Sir John Franklin and Captain Reid visited the neighbouring squatter in whose run Arthur’s Seat was included. This was Mr. Andrew Morison McCrae, father of George Gordon McCrae, who told me the story of the visit. With Mr. A. M. McCrae as a guide, the three set out on horseback to climb the mountain. When about two-thirds of the way up Sir John Franklin dismounted, and in reply to a question whether he had dropped anything, he said, “I am looking to see whether there is any sign of the heap of stones I placed here when I was on the mountain in April, 1802, with my commanding officer and kingman, Matthew Flinders, of the Investigator.” A few years ago a cairn was built on this spot, the immediate surroundings of which are not much changed from what they were when from there 120 years ago Flinders surveyed the bay below. It was only a little more than a year after this sentimental visit in 1844 by Sir John Franklin to Arthur’s Seat that he set out on his ill-fated voyage, to seek for the North-West Passage, and thus passed from the sight of men . . . “
Source: Excerpt – ‘Argus’ – Article “Arthur’s Seat. – Beauty & History. – by G.B.” – published 12th November 1927
Today, this proud, large, stone monument marks the locale from which Matthew Flinders observed Port Phillip, was astounded by its size, and named Indented Head (now known as the Bellarine Peninsula). This impressive monument and associated viewing area was built in 1914. The plaque reads:
Another plaque set just below notes: “The Above Plaque is a Replica of the Original replacing it in March, 1974, the Bi-Centenary of the Birth of Matthew Flinders”
The views from this spot are enormous – it is easy to correlate Matthew Flinders writings with the what can be seen from here . . .
Helpful Hints:
– Located approximately 500 m from the Arthurs Seat Town Centre – obtain Directions here
– Accessed from ‘Arthurs Seat Circuit Walk’
– For a list of Points of Interest on Arthurs Seat Circuit Walk – click here
– Located within Arthurs Seat State Park
– Parking at Seawinds Gardens
– Parking at Arthurs Seat Summit & Town Centre
– Other Historical POI’s surrounding the Arthurs Seat Summit
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