8 April 1802   Flinders and Baudin at Encounter Bay

Captain Matthew Flinders in his ship, Investigator, left Kangaroo Island on the 6 April 1802 and sailed east. He named the narrow strait between the island the mainland Backstairs Passage, and a bay on the island Antechamber Bay.

About 4 o'clock in the afternoon of 8 April a sail was seen ahead and preparations made for action, but on heaving to it was found that the ship was the French Le Geographe under Captain Baudin. Flinders went on board, gave Baudin some of his charts and informed him where water was available on the island and at Port Lincoln.

Baudin had come from the east and many of the names bestowed by him along the coast have been retained including Lacepede Bay, Rivoli Bay, Guichen Bay and Cape Jaffa.

Flinders named their meeting place Encounter Bay. On the 8 April 1902 a plaque commemorating this meeting was unveiled at Rosetta Head, Victor Harbour.

H.M. Cooper, A Naval History of South Australia,  Adelaide, 1950, p. 20.