At 11.30am today in the Parkes Room of Parliament House, the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir, will present a chart to the president of the Legislative Council, Dr Meredith Burgmann. The chart is singularly plain: a simple, if meticulous, pen and ink rendition of the continent we call home.
Yet behind today’s ceremony lies a fascinating tale of two men, separated by two centuries. The first is Matthew Flinders, the explorer and map-maker who died in 1814, aged just 40. The second is Bill Fairbanks, 66, a company secretary from Wahroonga. What the two share is obsession. Flinders – born in Lincolnshire on March 16, 1774 – was obsessed with becoming the first man to circumnavigate the continent (a mission he achieved on June 9, 1803 when his ship, Investigator, limped back into Sydney harbour).
As for Fairbanks, he is obsessed with reminding us that 2004 is the 200th anniversary of an emotional moment in our history, the first time the name “Australia” was ever used on a map…
Continue reading: Sydney Morning Herald – June 9, 2004
Published by W C Fairbanks 2004 ~ Site design by No Rest For The Wicked ~ Powered by Textpattern
I’d like to say thank you once again for your generous gift, I was, and still am overwhelmed. I showed my father last night as I knew he would be very interested in seeing it. Dad loves his history and knew a great deal about what you had told me . You would have a great time if you ever met, as he speaks with that same passion that you spoke with yesterday.
He has my brother making a frame out of hardwood which I think will suit the map, and has decided that once it has been framed it will be shared between both our houses.
I’ve asked my brother to make 2 frames and if they look good I’d love for you to have one.
Thank you.
You are a special person
Regards Yvonne Pagonis
— Yvonne Pagonis Apr 14, 11:58 PM #