Matthew Flinders was a Royal Navy officer and an English navigator and cartographer of very special talent who led the second circumnavigation of what was then called in equal parts New Holland (named by Abel Tasman, the Dutch explorer) and New South Wales. The name Australia derives from Latin australis meaning southern, and dates back to 2nd century legends of an “unknown southern land” . The explorer Matthew Flinders renamed the land Terra Australis, which was later abbreviated to the current form. The name Australia stuck, there is still a part of Australia called New South Wales but there is no New Holland. There is a Tasmania of course.
Although he was modest enough to never name for any feature in all his discoveries, Flinders’ name is now associated with over one hundred geographical features and places in Australia and after Queen Victoria there are more statues of Flinders in Australia than anyone else.
In February 2020 my blogging pal John from Australia came to the UK and we met up. I took him to the village of his birthplace, Donington in Lincolnshire…
We visited the village market square where he was born. The house is sadly now gone, demolished a hundred years ago or so and then on to the Parish Church with a soaring tower and steeple which is a sort of museum about his life and achievements.
There is an interesting story about his coffin. his coffin. England is currently building an unnecessary and very expensive new high speed rail service from London to the north and during excavations near Euston Station in London the coffin of Matthew Flinders was discovered in a graveyard that had been built over a hundred years or so ago. The discovery was almost as big a thing as finding King Richard III underneath a car park in Leicester.
The coffin and the remains are currently undergoing scientific analysis but once this is complete the body will be returned to Donington and interred with special rejoicing and appropriate reverence in the church in the village.
Donington is miles and miles away from anywhere that tourists normally go but will almost certainly become a place of pilgrimage for visitors from Australia.
Click on an image to scroll through the gallery…
Have Bag, Will Travel 
My wife and I just had a conversation as to whether we should plan for a marker someplace where people can find it (relatives, not people in general).
The idea is that if someone wants to do some genealogy snooping, they will at least have physical evidence of us spending a few years on this rock. We’re still discussing it because my feeling is no one will come looking, and even if they do, they won’t know where to look.
I mention this because had Flinders not been buried, there would be nothing to celebrate and make a big deal of. Of course, he did something of note.
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I think that they would celebrate him with or without the coffin.
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The point is that they would not have made a big deal out of NOT finding his grave and remains (presumably, there are remains). After all, there’s already a memorial.
There seems to be something in human nature to knowing where someone is buried, and even when we think we know, there is controversy precisely because we want to be sure of what we know:
https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/attractions/sacajawea-secret-gravesite/
But say they had cremated Flinders and scattered his ashes in 4-5 different places, or at sea . . . people would still want a physical memorial somewhere.
So, the question remains . . . if there’s already a memorial, why would finding the grave be so monumental (pun) and trigger lots of excitement?
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I believe the remains are being used for research, that might be useful.
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It’ll definitely put the town on the map
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A real stroke of good fortune.
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Absolutely
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Fully agree with you about the high speed rail service. South Korea had the right idea. They spent the money on a high speed broadband.
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Much better use of money.
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How interesting. I remember John coming to visit the UK and staying a night with Derrick and Jackie.
I agree with you about the high speed rail. Such a waste of money and unwanted damage to our land and all to save the odd hour out of the day!
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John and I spent a couple of days together in the Fens.
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HS2 seems a high price to pay for finding Flinders’ coffin. Destruction of ancient woodlands, SSIs, wildlife …. preaching to the converted, I know, but …
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You are so right Margaret.
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Very interesting Andrew. Possibly the best thing to come out of HS2. I never knew that about Australia’s name origins. Name origins would make a good series too. I am guessing Sweden is not down to an orange vegetable!
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When I was a boy I always associated Germany with Germolene.
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John will treasure that picture
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I am sure Derrick.
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what an interesting find in the midst of all that rail work
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Yes indeed. Thanks Beth.
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I like his expression, he looks very thoughtful. And the cat! Do you know why that is there, was he a noted cat lover?
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It was the ship’s cat called Trim.
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So we could easily have spent all these years playing Ashes Tests against Flindersia, or marvelling at the New Donington Opera House…maybe…
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He was one of the Navy’s greatest ever navigators but didn’t even make the BBC Top One Hundred Britons. A forgotten hero in UK.
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Fascinating! I agree with you about HS2. One of my cousins lives in Buckinghamshire and the woods near her home have been devastated.
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Vanity project.
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