Samuel Ward Flinders by de Grijs, Richard;

Short description:

This book is the first modern biography of the astronomer Samuel Ward Flinders, the youngest brother of Matthew Flinders. Samuel contributions to the scientific achievements of the H.M.S. Investigator were remarkable, yet his reputation is marred. This book explores these topics, appealing to academics and general audiences.

Long description:

Matthew Flinders’ 1801–1803 circumnavigation of Australia in H.M.S. Investigator has become a fabled narrative. Much less well-known are the achievements of Matthew’s youngest brother, Samuel Ward Flinders, whose skills in obtaining astronomical measurements to determine the expedition’s geographic longitudes were remarkable.

This book consolidates the widely scattered literature about Samuel’s life and achievements into the astronomer’s first modern biography. Samuel had to bear his own share of misfortunes and injustices, but they are balanced by his significant contribution to the scientific achievements of the voyage of the Investigator. This book contains a conclusive assessment as to whether his bad reputation is warranted by the historic record. This book will appeal to both academics and general audiences.

This book is accompanied by over 70 pages of online appendices (hosted under the Support Material tab on the Routledge website) including glossaries of key people, ships, nautical terms, and Indigenous place names. These downloadable resources also include further information on the H.M Ship Reliance, eyewitness accounts, and Samuel Flinders’ court martial.

Key features

• Presents the well-known story of Matthew Flinders’ 1801–1803 Australian circumnavigation told from a different, less obvious perspective;


• Explores the 18th/19th century’s British–French rivalry half a world from home;


• The first comprehensive biography of a largely overlooked major personality in the early exploration and colonisation by the British Empire.

Richard de Grijs received his M.Phil. (in Physics and Astronomy) as well as his Ph.D. from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. After completing his Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1997, he held two postdoctoral positions, at the University of Virginia (USA) and the University of Cambridge (UK). In 2003, he obtained his first academic staff appointment, at the University of Sheffield (UK), and in 2009 he joined the Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University (China). Richard now hails from Sydney, Australia, where he joined Macquarie University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering as Associate Dean (Global Engagement) and professor of astronomy in March 2018. Since June 2023, he has also been the Executive Director of the International Space Science Institute–Beijing. Richard was awarded the 2012 Selby Award for excellence in science by the Australian Academy of Science, a 2017 Erskine Award from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and a 2017 Jan Michalski Award from the Michalski Foundation (Switzerland). His research interests include young, massive star clusters and their evolution, stellar variability and the astronomical distance scale, and the history of maritime navigation. His forays into the history of science and medicine led to a number of awards, including the 2022 Blacktown Mayoral History Prize and the 2021 Hella Mannheimer Award. He has thus far published two monographs in the history of science.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1. The Early Years. Chapter 2. H.M. Ship Reliance. Chapter 3. Sydney-bound, Once Again: Setback at the Cape. Chapter 4. Sydney-bound, Once Again: Increasing Trust. Chapter 5. Sydney in 1802: An Early Snapshot. Chapter 6. Optimism and Dashed Hopes. Chapter 7. Not Quite Homeward Bound. Chapter 8. Home Sweet Home?