Captain John Moresby was a British naval officer and explorer who is best known for leading the first recorded European expedition to explore the southern coast of Papua New Guinea in 1873.
Moresby was born on March 15, 1830, in Allerford, Somerset, England, to a naval family. He joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13 and served in several parts of the world, including the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
In 1871, Moresby was appointed as captain of HMS Basilisk, a steam-powered ship that was assigned to explore the waters around New Guinea. Moresby's mission was to search for potential sites for British colonies, gather information on the local people and their customs, and to assess the economic potential of the region.
In 1873, Moresby arrived in the waters off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea and began to chart the coastline. He encountered numerous local tribes, some of whom were friendly, while others were hostile. Moresby faced many challenges during his exploration, including treacherous reefs, dangerous currents, and a lack of reliable maps.
Despite these difficulties, Moresby continued his exploration and eventually discovered the port of Port Moresby, which he named after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby. Moresby established friendly relations with the local people, traded goods with them, and gathered information about the region.
Moresby's exploration of Papua New Guinea was a significant achievement, as it marked the first recorded European exploration of the southern coast of the island. Moresby's work paved the way for further European exploration of the region and contributed to the eventual colonization of Papua New Guinea by the British and later the Australians.
After his exploration of Papua New Guinea, Moresby continued to serve in the Royal Navy and was promoted to rear-admiral in 1885. He retired from the navy in 1889 and lived out his life in England. Moresby died on August 12, 1922, at the age of 92.
Sources
"John Moresby." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Moresby.
"Moresby, John (1830–1922)." Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/moresby-john-4272.
"Moresby, John." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-34863.
"John Moresby: Mapping the Papua New Guinea Coastline." Royal Museums Greenwich. Accessed March 26, 2023. https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/john-moresby-mapping-papua-new-guinea-coastline.
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