Australian Wombat

The Australian Wombat, one of the earliest images of this animal. This print comes from the work illustrating the expedition by Nicolas Baudin, who was commissioned to chart the coastline of Australia, sailed into Sydney in 1802. Wombats were encountered by the French party throughout their voyage and on several occasions wombats travelled on board their ships.

The French expedition under Nicolas Baudin, was commissioned to chart the coastline of Australia, sailed into Sydney in 1802. On board was Charles Alexandre Lesueur (1778-1846), draftsman/naturalist.

It was one of the most lavishly equipped scientific expeditions ever to leave Europe. At the dawn of the nineteenth century, French navigator Nicolas Baudin led two ships carrying 22 scientists and more than 230 officers and crew on a three-and-a-half-year voyage to the 'Southern Lands', charting coasts, studying the natural environment and recording encounters with indigenous peoples.

Inspired by the Enlightenment's hunger for knowledge, Baudin's expedition collected well in excess of 100,000 specimens, produced more than 1500 drawings and published the first complete chart of Australia.