Biographical entry: Bligh, William (1754 - 1817)
- Born
- 1754
England - Died
- 1817
England
Summary
Various collections in National Library of Australia
Details
William Bligh rose to the rank of Admiral, and from 1806-1808 was Governor of New South Wales. Of principal interest here is his role as navigator, and his contribution to the charting of Torres Strait.
Bligh sailed in Command of H.M.S. Bounty to Tahiti in 1787, to collect breadfruit plants for the West Indies. In April 1789 the Bounty crew mutinied, and cast off Bligh and his supporters in the ship's launch, in which they sailed west to Kupang in the Dutch East Indies.
In June 1789 they passed through Endeavour Strait, named Wednesday Island and charted a new passage, the Prince of Wales Channel. In 1791 Bligh commanded the Providence on a second voyage to Tahiti.
In 1792 he again sailed through Torres Strait and discovered and named Bligh's Entrance. Several other channels were surveyed and Clarence's Archipelago, and Banks, Mulgrave and North Possession Islands were named. A number of incidents occurred involving Torres Strait Island people before the Providence sailed away from the Strait on 18 September 1792.
Matthew Flinders sailed as midshipman on this voyage of the Providence.
Notebook and list of mutineers [of the Bounty ], 1789. Unpublished autograph manuscript rough account - Lieutenant Wm. Bligh's voyage in the Bounty's launch from the ship to Tafua and from thence to Timor - 28 April to 14 June, 1789. National Library of Australia MS. 5393.
Ship's log, 1789. Extract from the log of proceedings of His Majesty's ship Bounty, Lieut. Wm. Bligh Commander from Otaheite towards Jamaica, 28 April 1789-13 September 1789, typescript, pp.77. National Library of Australia MS. 112/2.
Documents, 1789, 1938. 13 documents and letters written at Koepang, Sourabaya and Batavia, most signed by Bligh, relating to events on the Bounty and the Resource, negative photographs. National Library of Australia MS. 5956.
Journal 1791-1792. Entitled: Manuscript journal kept on board H.M. Ship Providence (Capt. William Bligh). Left Portsmouth 3 August 1791, arrived Adventure Bay 9 February 1792, sailed for Otaheite. The journal may have been kept by Lieut. Guthrie, original vellum, with the arms of the East India Company, pp.87. National Library of Australia Nan Kivell Collection, N.K. 718.