Australia — East Coast, Botany Bay & Port Hacking (1848–1853)

The Admiralty chart of Sydney’s original landfall

This beautifully detailed British Admiralty chart records the two most historically important anchorages on Australia’s east coast — Botany Bay, where Captain Cook first landed in 1770, and Port Hacking, the sheltered southern gateway to Sydney. Surveyed between 1848 and 1851 by Captains Owen Stanley and John Lort Stokes, R.N., this map captures these waters at the moment they became fully measured, charted and safe for modern shipping.

Engraved by J. & C. Walker and published by the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty in 1853, this was the working chart used by vessels approaching the growing port of Sydney from the south.

This is not a decorative map.
It is the maritime blueprint of Australia’s first contact point.

⚓ What This Chart Shows

This finely engraved Admiralty sheet reveals Botany Bay and Port Hacking in navigational precision.

• Botany Bay — Cook’s original landing place

• Port Hacking — the sheltered southern harbour

• Entrance channels, shoals and tidal flats

• Hundreds of bathymetric soundings showing safe depths and hazards

• Coastal relief shown by hachures and spot heights

• Greenwich prime meridian — true Admiralty navigation standard

This was the chart captains relied on when approaching Sydney’s historic waters.

🧭 Why This Chart Works

Most maps show where history happened.
This shows how ships reached it.

• Surveyed by Owen Stanley & John Lort Stokes — two of Australia’s greatest hydrographers

• True British Admiralty production — the world’s gold standard

• Exceptional harbour and coastal detail

• Museum-grade engraving by J. & C. Walker

• Historic authority used by 19th-century mariners

This is the chart that kept ships safe as Sydney became a global port.

✨ Premium Finishes

Every Botany Bay & Port Hacking (1853) Admiralty Chart is printed in Australia using archival methods to preserve the fine engraving and historic character.

📐 Size

740 mm (W) × 1000 mm (H)
A striking portrait-format wall map that follows the long coastal sweep from Botany Bay to Port Hacking.

🎯 Ideal For

• Australian maritime history collectors

• Sydney and NSW heritage enthusiasts

• Museums and libraries

• Yacht clubs and maritime businesses

• Anyone fascinated by Australia’s early coastal exploration

🤝 Our Commitment

• Printed in Australia with professional colour management

• Archival pigment inks for long-term colour stability

• Premium laminates and canvas for durability

• Natural timber hang rails for elegant presentation

• Hand-checked and carefully packed before dispatch

Before Sydney was a city, it was a pair of bays — and this was their map.
Choose your finish and bring this great Admiralty chart onto your wall.