The organisation and conduct of any major scientific expedition inevitably generated a vast body of correspondence, of both an official and a personal nature. The Baudin expedition proved no exception to this rule.
The task of assembling the entire collection of letters relating to the Baudin expedition is a particularly challenging one, since it is dispersed throughout different institutions in France and also in the archives of several other countries, including Australia. Only a small sample of that correspondence is provided here. Over time, significant additions will be made to this collection. The first set of letters to appear on this site is the correspondence that was published as part of the Historical Records of New South Wales (vol. 4, Sydney, Government Printer, 1896). It largely consists of the correspondence exchanged between the French expedition and the authorities in Port Jackson in 1802 and includes letters by Baudin and Governor Philip Gidley King, in both French and English versions.
Correspondence Relating to the Sojourn in Port Jackson of the Baudin Expedition, HRNSW
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Comments or suggestions regarding this correspondence are welcome. They should be addressed to: baudin.legacy@sydney.edu.au