- John Shortland
Infobox Person
name ="Lt. John Shortland"
caption =
birth_date =5 September 1769
birth_place =England
death_date =21 January 1810
death_place =Guadeloupe
death_cause =Battle injuries
residence =
other_names =
occupation =Naval officer
spouse =
partner =
children =
parents =John Shortland
|John Shortland (1769-1810), was the eldest son of John Shortland [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020403b.htm| Shortland, John (1796 - 1810)] . The Australian Dictionary of Biography - Online Edition.] . Shortland a naval officer, joined the
Royal Navy as a midshipman and went toQuebec in a transport commanded by his father. From 1783 to 1787 he served in theWest Indies . In 1787 he was master's mate in the Sirius when theFirst Fleet sailed forAustralia . Shortland spent nearly five years in Australia including time onNorfolk Island where the Sirius was wrecked in 1790. In 1792 he returned toEngland .as first lieutenant.
On 9 September 1797, while on his way to Port Stephens in pursuit of some runaway convicts, Shortland entered the estuary of the
Hunter River on which Newcastle,New South Wales is situated. During his brief stay, Shortland named the river, though for some years it was often referred to as the Coal River, made the first chart of the harbour in the form of an eye-sketch and collected some samples of coal. In a later letter to his father, Shortland predicted that his discovery would prove "a great acquisition to the settlement" [ [http://www.jillhall.com/elect/facts.php| Jill Hall M.P.] Federal member for Shortland] .The suburb of Shortland is named after him.
On 13 December 1809 he fought a gallant but hopeless action against two 48-gun and two 20-gun French ships. He was very seriously wounded and his ship so badly damaged that the enemy was compelled to burn her. His mangled body was taken by the French to the hospital at
Guadeloupe where he died on 21 January 1810, 'firm in his attachment to the Protestant faith'. He was buried with full military honours at Basse-Terre.References
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