Person

Dalrymple, Alexander (1737 - 1808)

FRS

Born
24 July 1737
New Hailes, Scotland
Died
19 June 1808
Occupation
Hydrographer and Geographer

Summary

Alexander Dalrymple, an employee of the East India Co. for over 20 years from 1752, published a number of books about the unexplored Pacific area. He was an advocate of the notion of the existence of a great southern continent. The suggestion that he lead an expedition to the Pacific Ocean to observe the transit of Venus in 1769 came to nothing. Instead James Cook was appointed commander of the expedition, sailing in H.M.B. Endeavour. Dalrymple left the East India Company in 1795 and was Hydrographer for the Royal Navy until 1808.

Details

Chronology

1765 - 1808
Award - Fellow, The Royal Society, London (FRS)
1779 - 1795
Career position - In charge of Hydrographic office, East India Company
1782 - 1808
Award - Foreign Member, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
1795 - 1808
Career position - Hydrographer, Royal Navy

Archival resources

National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection

  • Alexander Dalrymple - Records, 1784 - 1806, MS 43; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details
  • Joseph Banks - Records, 1745 - 1820, MS 9; National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection. Details

Published resources

Books

  • Dalrymple, Alexander, An historical collection of the several voyages and discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean, 2 vols (London: The Author, 1770-1771). Details
  • Dalrymple, Alexander, An Account of the Discoveries Made in the South Pacifick Ocean (Potts Point: Hordern House for the Australian National Maritime Museum, 1996), various pagings pp. Details

Book Sections

  • Beaglehole, J. C., 'Dalrymple, Alexander (1737-1808)' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 1: 1788 - 1850 A-H, Shaw, A. G L.; and Clark, C. M. H., eds (Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1966). Details

Journal Articles

  • Jack-Hinton, C., 'Alexander Dalrymple and the rediscovery of the Islands of Solomon', Mariner’s mirror, 50 (2) (1964), 94-114. Details
  • Tregonning, Ken, 'Alexander Dalrymple: the man whom Cook replaced', Australian quarterly, 23 (3) (1951), 54-63. Details

Resources

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

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