![]() ![]() England may have colonised Australia, but for many years it was France that understood it best. They took specimens back to French museums where they provided an important foundation for Australian biology and conservation, particularly in botany and marine biology. More interested in science than in new colonies, these early French voyages, led by commanders like Bougainville, Lapérouse, D’Entrecasteaux, Baudin, Freycinet, Duperrey and Dumont d’Urville, were the first to name, describe and beautifully illustrate many Australian species. Through revolution, empire and restoration, late 18th and early 19th century France maintained an unwavering commitment to research and discovery in the Pacific region and in Australia. Could Australia ever have been French? The English certainly thought so. ![]()
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