Esperance, Geographe Bay,
Cape Le Grand... Remnants of French exploration are dotted throughout the south
west of Western Australia. But just how close did we come to being a French
Colony?
Very close, according to
honorary research fellow in European Languages and Studies at the University of
WA, Noelene Bloomfield.
In a book launched today at
UWA, Mrs Bloomfield explains why the French - who had claimed the western side
of the continent, mapped its coastline and made important scientific
discoveries - withdrew, letting Britain develop the nation.
Mrs Bloomfield said a series
of circumstances leading up the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in
the late 1700s led to France losing its interest in overseas territories,
including Western Australia.
"A captain called Louis
Aleno de Saint Alouarn - who unfortunately died on the return journey and
couldn't present his findings to the King - claimed the west side of Australia
on Dirk Hartog Island in 1772," she said.
"Napoleon came in in
the late 1700s, crowned himself emperor in 1804 and in that period although he
was interested in overseas in territories he just got too caught up in Europe
and gradually turned his focus northward rather than southward, so they let
their chances slip through their fingers."
Proof of Saint Alouarn's
proclamation on Dirk Hartog Island was not found until 1998.
According to Mrs Bloomfield,
France missed out again when explorer Louis de Bougainville was prevented from
reaching the east coast of Australia by the Great Barrier Reef, two years
before Captain Cook landed.
The French names we are used
to hearing were left out of respect for the cartographers and their
discoveries.
"A whole lot of
circumstances leading up to the French Revolution more or less wiped out France
from overseas territories," Mrs Bloomfield said
Sent by ''Aussie Allie'' from Le Riols
