Matthew FLINDERS was born on 16 March 1774 at Donington, Lincolnshire, England.
He found inspiration to take to the sea after reading ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and wrote to an uncle in the Royal Navy asking what sort of life he could expect. The response was less than favourable. Promotions were rare, influential friends were the best way to get ahead and the navy was full of favouritism. Not put off by this FLINDERS started studying navigation. He entered the navy in October 1789, age 15, joining the crew of the HMS Bellerophon as a midshipman.
In 1801 at the age of 27 FLINDERS was promoted and selected to command HMS Investigator. He was instructed by the Admiralty to explore in detail the southern Australian coastline, then referred to as ‘the Unknown Coast’. He was to become the first to circumnavigate Australia and recognise it as a continent.
Cape Howe was renamed on 8 December 1801 by Captain Matthew FLINDERS to "West Cape Howe" to distinguish it from Cape Howe located at the Victoria/New South Wales border. He spent 3 weeks in Princess Royal Harbour refitting the Investigator before continuing his journey east and completing the first circumnavigation of Australia.
On 19 July 1814 and a day after his sea voyage journal, “A Voyage to Terra Australis” was published, FLINDERS died in London from ill health at the age of 40.