French Names Along the Australian Coastline

Introduction

French Place Names and the Historical Geography of the Australian Coast

More than 670 French place names were assigned along the Australian coastline following the expeditions of d’Entrecasteaux (1791–1794) and Baudin (1800–1804). Today, around 360 of these names still appear on Australian maps.

These voyages formed part of a broader effort to improve the geographical knowledge of the coasts of New Holland — present-day Australia — at a time when large sections of its shoreline remained imperfectly known to Europeans.

The geographers of the expeditions carefully surveyed the forms of the coastline — cliffs, capes, bays, peninsulas and islets — and determined their positions so that they could be accurately represented on maps. Scientists recorded the geological character of the shores, the soils, and the animal and plant species observed, while naval officers identified safe anchorages and well-protected natural harbours.

In this way, the expeditions carried out what may be regarded as a genuine programme of physical and human geography applied to maritime spaces, documenting the landscapes, natural environments and societies encountered along the Australian coasts.

It was within this context of exploration and hydrographic surveying that the French place names of the Australian coastline were established. If the nomenclature associated with the voyage of d’Entrecasteaux largely reflects the geographical progress of the expedition, that published following the Baudin expedition also bears the imprint of the political culture of Napoleonic France.

The d'Entrecasteaux Expedition (1791-1794)

General Chart of New Holland and the Archipelagos of the Great Ocean … by Beautemps-Beaupré, 1807

In Search of Lapérouse

The expedition’s primary objective—the search for the missing Lapérouse—ended in failure. No trace of his two ships or their crews was found on the islands sighted in the western Pacific.

However, the second component of the mission proved highly successful: the charting of coastlines in the Southern Lands that remained only partially known to Europeans. These achievements restored morale after a difficult passage across the southern Indian Ocean in heavy seas.

Cartographic achievements

The expedition visited the east coasts of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in April–May 1792 and again in late January–February 1793. It also explored the south-west coasts of New Holland (Western Australia) in late December 1792–January 1793.

In total, 68 new place names were bestowed along these shores, honouring mainly members of the expedition and the geographical features discovered.

Cap Raoul

Views of different parts of Van Diemen’s Land: cap Raoul with the vertical columns of dolerite that form its tip
Piron, Jean & Schoeder & Beautemps-Beaupré, C. F & France.
In Atlas du voyage de Bruny d’Entrecasteaux (1807).

Source: National Library of Australia

The Baudin Expedition (1800-1804)

Map by Freycinet, 1812

A Nomenclature Shaped by Political Upheaval

The place names associated with the Baudin expedition were assigned in an unusual manner: not during the voyage itself, but in Paris between 1806 and 1807—three years after Baudin’s death and following the return of the corvettes.

A Changing Political Context

Between the expedition’s departure and the publication of its results, France experienced three successive regimes: the Directory (which prepared the voyage), the Consulate (under which it was commissioned), and the Napoleonic Empire (during which the maps were published).

This political transformation left a clear imprint on the nomenclature. The selected place names reflect these successive regimes: some honour General Bonaparte, others the First Consul, and many celebrate Emperor Napoleon and members of the imperial family.

A Renewed National Spirit

The 603 place names selected by Péron and Freycinet vividly illustrate the evolution of French national sentiment during the Napoleonic period, supplanting the republican ideals that had originally shaped Baudin’s expedition.

More than eighty per cent of the names commemorate French figures distinguished in science, literature, military service, or public administration—transforming the map of Australia’s coasts into a symbolic reflection of France’s renewed sense of unity, prestige, and imperial ambition.

South-West New Holland, coastal profile

Cape Marengo (spelled Maringo) and Cap des Représentations (Baudin’s original designation), subsequently renamed Cap Suffren by Péron and Freycinet (the name inscribed in pencil above “Représentations” on the manuscript), now Point Grey — 30 March 1802.
Ink-wash coastal surveys of the southern lands by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur.

Source: Archives nationales de France

Why French Place Names Matter

The French place names recorded along the Australian coast during the expeditions of d’Entrecasteaux and Baudin are more than historical curiosities. They are also “symbols to which people attach meaning and from which they draw identity,” and enduring traces of a moment when French explorers and scientists sought to document and understand the southern continent.

These names bear witness to early French exploration at a time when British colonisation had only just begun, reminding us that Australia’s European history includes a significant French chapter. Many commemorate scientists, naval officers, and historical figures, reflecting the political, cultural, and scientific ambitions of France in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

French place names also invite reflection on the colonial practice of naming landscapes without reference to existing Indigenous place names, highlighting the layered and complex history of the Australian coastline.

Taken together, these toponyms illuminate the connections between exploration, science, politics, and memory. They enrich our understanding of Australia’s past while sustaining enduring cultural links between Australia and France.