Matthew Brisbane
| Matthew Brisbane | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1787 Perth, Tayside |
| Died | 26 August 1833 (aged 46) Port Louis, Falkland Islands |
| Cause of death | Murdered |
| Resting place | Port Louis |
| Nationality | British/Naturalised Argentine |
| Citizenship | British/Naturalised Argentine |
| Occupation | Sailor |
| Known for | Antarctic exploration, antarctic shipwrecks, early Falkland Islands history |
Matthew Brisbane (1787–1833) was an Antarctic explorer, sealer and a notable figure in the early history of the Falkland Islands. A compatriot of famous explorers such as Weddell, Ross and Fitzroy, he was shipwrecked three times in Antarctic waters but survived, overcoming tremendous hardships. Brisbane entered Falkland Islands history when he accepted a position with Vernet as his deputy.
Little is known of Brisbane's early life. He was born in Perth, Tayside in 1787 but his exact birth date is unknown. It appears that he was a merchant sailor during the Napoleonic Wars but there is no record of his service in the Royal Navy. His brother was the master of a brig that traded between Liverpool and Quebec.
Brisbane first rose to public attention though his association with James Weddell, the famous Antarctic explorer. Brisbane was the commander of the small cutter Beaufoy with a crew of thirteen; the Beaufoy being owned by Weddell. Weddell in the Jane and Brisbane in the Beaufoy left England on 17 September 1822. Weddell initially sailed for Madeira for provisions for the Antarctic voyage, whilst Brisbane headed for Bonavista in the Cape Verde islands for a cargo of salt with which to cure seal skins. In December, they met up at Port St Elena in what is now Chile. Brisbane sailed south to hunt for seals arranging to rendezvous with Weddell at Penguin Island on the Patagonian coast. On New Years Day 1823, they met up once again before sailing south to the South Orkney Islands. Discovered by Nathaniel Brown Palmer and George Powell in 1821, little was known at the time about the islands and Weddell intended to explore them for seals and to conduct a hydrographic survey. They arrived in the islands on 12 January 1823 and began sealing but with little success. Brisbane conducted a rough survey of the southern coasts of the islands and in response Weddell named the cliffs on the north point of Powell Island Brisbane's Bluff (now known as Cape Faraday). Weddell and Brisbane sailed further south in the hope of finding more islands but made slow progress due to the combination of adverse weather and the need to heave to at night to avoid collision with ice floes. By 27 January they had reached 64° 58' S, where the decision was made to sail north to look for islands between the South Orkney and South Sandwich Islands. Finding none, the pair headed south again and on 20 February 1823 reached 74° 15' S setting a record for the furthest voyage south that lasted till James Clark Ross' voyage of 1842.
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