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Phillip Parker King

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Phillip Parker King, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025
Phillip Parker King
Born1791-12-13
Norfolk Island
Died1856-02-26
Occupation(s)Naval officer, explorer, hydrographer, politician
Years active1807–1856
Known forExploration of Australian coastlines and Patagonia; surveying voyages of HMS Adventure and Beagle

Phillip Parker King (13 December 1791 – 26 February 1856) was a pioneering navigator known for his exploration of the coastlines of Australia and Patagonia.

Early life and education

Born on Norfolk Island to parents Philip Gidley King and Anna Josepha King (née Coombe), King received his name in honor of Admiral Arthur Phillip, his father’s mentor and the inaugural governor of New South Wales. In 1796, he was sent to England to pursue his studies and, in 1802, enrolled at the Royal Naval Academy in Portsmouth. He officially joined the Royal Navy in 1807 and attained the rank of lieutenant by 1814.

Explorations along the Australian coast

King was commissioned to chart sections of the Australian shoreline that had not been previously surveyed by Royal Navy officer Matthew Flinders. Between December 1817 and April 1822, he undertook four separate expeditions. His team of nineteen included notable figures such as botanist Allan Cunningham, future Western Australia Surveyor-General John Septimus Roe, and the Aboriginal man Bungaree. The initial three journeys were conducted aboard the 76-ton cutter , which was later lost in 1829. The British Admiralty’s orders emphasized locating rivers that might enable inland navigation, while the Colonial Office tasked him with collecting information on geography, wildlife, vegetation, minerals, climate conditions, Indigenous communities, and commercial prospects.

First voyage

From February through June 1818, King explored the coastline up to Van Diemen Gulf, situated between the Northern Territory and Timor. During this voyage, he encountered both Aboriginal Australians and Makassan proa vessels. In June, the Mermaid made a stop at Timor before retracing its route back to Sydney, arriving on 29 July.

Second voyage

Between December 1818 and January 1819, King surveyed Macquarie Harbour in what was then known as Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). In May 1819, he proceeded northward toward Torres Strait. Accompanying him was John Oxley, whom he accompanied as far as the Hastings River on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. King continued mapping the shoreline between Cape Wessel in the Northern Territory and Admiralty Gulf in Western Australia, returning to Sydney on 12 January 1820.

Third voyage

During his third expedition, the Mermaid ran aground along the coast of Queensland, though this damage only became apparent after rounding the Cape York Peninsula. The journey continued through Torres Strait and along northern Australia toward the Kimberley area in Western Australia. With water ingress exceeding pumping capacity, King beached the ship for repairs at what is now called Careening Bay, Western Australia, located on Coronation Island, roughly northeast of modern-day Broome. The crew spent eighteen days restoring the vessel while observing local Wunambal dwellings, including bark huts and larger hilltop constructions, alongside evidence of sago palm nuts commonly consumed in coastal diets.

Due to concerns about possible hostilities from armed Makassan trepangers operating along the northern shorelines, King arranged for cannons to be placed along the beach for defense. After completing repairs without incident, the Mermaid set sail again in early October 1820. Before departure, the ship’s carpenter carved "Mermaid 1820" into a boab tree; this engraving has since become a recognized historical site.

Fourth voyage

On his fourth expedition, King commanded the 154-ton sloop HMS Bathurst, navigating northward through Torres Strait toward the north-western coastline of Australia, including detailed surveys of the Dampier Archipelago. Following this, he conducted additional explorations along the western shore after a stopover in Mauritius.

Expeditions to South America

Elevated to the rank of commander in July 1821, King returned to England in 1823 and subsequently took command of HMS Adventure. Together with HMS Beagle, he spent five years (1826–1830) charting the intricate coastlines surrounding the Strait of Magellan at South America's southern extremity. During this period, King gathered a distinctive assortment of Patagonian tribal artifacts from Tierra del Fuego, which he later donated to the British Museum in London. He also contributed numerous sketches and watercolours that were incorporated into his published reports. His discoveries were formally shared at the Royal Geographical Society in 1831. King's eldest son, Philip Gidley King, served as a midshipman aboard HMS Beagle (1832–1836), continuing surveys of Patagonia under Robert FitzRoy’s leadership, alongside Charles Darwin. King owned property in Dunheved, Sydney, where he hosted Darwin on his final evening in Sydney in January 1836.

Later life

Although appointed to the inaugural New South Wales Legislative Council in 1829, King did not assume his position due to absence and was replaced. Upon returning in 1832, he sought reappointment and was reinstated by February 1839. In April of that year, he accepted the role of resident commissioner for the Australian Agricultural Company, a position he maintained for a decade. Upon this appointment, he offered his resignation from the council, which was accepted in October. King was reappointed to the council in 1850 and subsequently elected as a representative for the Counties of Gloucester and Macquarie in 1851.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral on the retired list in 1855 and held fellowship with the Royal Society. King passed away on 26 February 1856 at North Sydney.

Family

In 1817, prior to departing for New South Wales, King married Harriet Lethbridge. Harriet passed away at Ashfield, Sydney, on 19 December 1874. Together they had eight children, among them:

  • Philip Gidley (1817–1904), who managed stock for the Australian Agricultural Company and later served on the Legislative Council.
  • John (1820–1895)
  • (William) Essington (1821–1910)
  • Rev. Robert Lethbridge King (1823–1897), who was principal of Moore Theological College between 1868 and 1878.
  • (Charles) Macarthur (1824–1903)
  • Frederick (1825–1895)
  • Arthur Septimus (1827–1899)

Legacy

King and his crew played a crucial role in exploring and mapping Australia's northern and western coastlines. Their readiness to sail close to shore facilitated thorough charting of these regions.

Recognition

King’s contributions were commemorated on Australian postage stamps: a £2 issue in 1964 and a $4 stamp released in 1966 during Australia’s transition to decimal currency.

The native Australian orchid Dendrobium kingianum bears his name.

King Sound in the Kimberley region is named in his honor.

On 4 October 1818, John Oxley named Kings River after him; however, at local request, it was renamed King Creek in 2007.

Six reptile species commemorate King: Amphisbaena kingii, Chlamydosaurus kingii, Egernia kingii, Elgaria kingii, Hydrophis kingii, and Liolaemus kingii. Notably, the frill-necked lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) was first collected during King's third expedition in 1820.

The endemic plant species Coriaria kingiana was named after him by New Zealand botanist William Colenso.

Works

  • King, Phillip Parker. Account of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Shores of Australia: conducted between 1818 and 1822. John Murray, London, 1827. [1] [2] [3]
  • Selections from a correspondence by Capt. Philip Parker King regarding fauna of the Straits of Magellan. Zoological Journal London 3:422-32, 1828.
  • Observations on avian species gathered by Capt. King in Chile. Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London, 1831: 29–30.
  • King, P.P. Navigational Instructions for the Coasts of Eastern and Western Patagonia, the Straits of Magellan, and Tierra del Fuego's Sea-Coast. Hydrographical Office, Admiralty, London, 1832. [4]
  • King, P.P. and Broderip, W.J. Description of Cirripedia, Conchifera, and Mollusca collected by officers of H.M.S. Adventure and Beagle (1826–1830) during surveys of southern South America. The Zoological Journal, 5: 332–349, 1832.
  • King, P.P., edited by Robert FitzRoy. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle (1826–1836), including exploration of South America's southern coasts and Beagle's global circumnavigation. Henry Colburn, London, 1839. Volume I. [5]

See also

References

  • Kemp, Peter. The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Oxford, 1976, p.450.
  • Thompson, R.T., 1998. Insect collections made by Captain P.P. King in South America (1826–1830). Archives of Natural History 25: 331–343.

External links

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