La Per

Ship compass

La Perouse Museum in the old morse code station.
A reproduction French Naval uniform with portrait of La Perouse.
The La Perouse family coat of arms.
A nautical compass.

We travelled to La Perouse to the La Perouse Museum and monument to La Perouse and his expedition. It was a beautiful sunny day and Tom trawelled for shells along the shoreline. Inside the museum we saw amazing nautical instruments made of brass in timber boxes. There were engravings, tapestries and shell art from the local artisans. It is an unknown part of our heritage as Sydney siders.

When La Perouse' expedition arrived in Sydney from Samoa where they had met a hostile welcome, Captain Arthur Phillip had already arrived in the First Fleet and moved them up the coast to Sydney Cove. La Perouse was denied a meeting with Phillip and his request for supplies from the First Fleet was denied. He left Sydney in his ship when he was able to however they lost their young 31 yr old Minister and Naturalist - Recherer. His grave is at La Perouse outside the museum.

Ultimately La Perouse and his men were lost to the world off Santa Cruz, however he had the foresight to send all of his expedition records, notes and journals back to Paris on the English ship The Sirius. King Louis XVI was given a remarkable record of this work and a copy of the French publication with it's engravings is kept in the NSW State Library.

I really feel that a feature film on the life of La Perouse between Sydney in 1788 and his end off Santa Cruz is waiting to be made.