Forby Sutherland was a member of the crew of the '' Endeavour'' during Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook's voyage to New South Wales. He died while the ship was in

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal language, Dharawal: ''Kamay'') is an open oceanic embayment, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point a ...

, making him the first British subject to die in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and the first European to die in

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Life and death in Australia

Sutherland was an able seaman and also the ship's poulterer (which meant he prepared game birds for the table, including for instance those shot by

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English Natural history, naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the European and American voyages of scientific exploration, 1766 natural-history ...

and Lieutenant John Gore). Cook logged that Forby Sutherland died of consumption on the evening of 30 April 1770 while the ship was anchored in the Bay, and was buried ashore at Kurnell the following morning. He had been afflicted by that condition ever since leaving the Le Maire Strait. The actual date of burial was 2 May.

Memorial

Near the landing place, in Kurnell there is a memorial stone, noting that Forby Sutherland was the first British subject to die on Australian soil. The memorial was unveiled on 29 April 1933. Henry Kendall wrote a poem called "Sutherland's Grave", in remembrance of Forby Sutherland and his burial in Australia. Some attribute the name of the

Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...

area as his legacy. Forby Sutherland Memorial Park is in the suburb of Sutherland.

Sutherland Point

Sutherland Point () is the headland at the eastern end of Kurnell beach inside

. The point was named Point Sutherland by Captain Cook, for crewman Forby Sutherland.

Life and death in Australia

Memorial

Sutherland Point

References

Further reading