Admiralty Gulf & Vansittart Bay — North-West Coast of Australia (1818–1826)

Phillip Parker King charts the remote frontiers of Australia’s north-west

This rare British Admiralty plan presents the first authoritative survey of Admiralty Gulf and Vansittart Bay—a complex, little-known stretch of Australia’s Kimberley coast. Surveyed between 1818 and 1822 by Phillip Parker King, R.N., and engraved by J. & C. Walker, it was issued by the Admiralty in 1826 as a practical navigation chart for vessels operating far beyond settled waters.

Drawn for seamanship rather than ornament, this chart reflects the era when Australia’s north-west was still being made known—soundings by sounding, headland by headland.

This is not a decorative map.
It is a working document of exploration and navigation.

⚓ What This Chart Shows

This finely engraved Admiralty sheet renders the region with crisp hydrographic clarity.

• Admiralty Gulf and Vansittart Bay precisely delineated

• Headlands, bays and coastal indentations

• Bathymetric soundings revealing depths and hazards

• Relief shown by classic Admiralty hachures

• Greenwich prime meridian — true naval reference standard

Every line reflects first-hand survey work in waters scarcely charted at the time.

🧭 Why This Chart Works

Most maps show places.
This shows how they were first understood at sea.

• Surveyed by Phillip Parker King — Australia’s foundational coastal surveyor

• True British Admiralty production — the global benchmark for accuracy

• Focused, high-resolution gulf and bay plan ideal for study and display

• Museum-grade engraving by J. & C. Walker

• Direct insight into early Kimberley exploration

This chart transformed conjecture into navigable knowledge along the north-west coast.

✨ Premium Finishes

Every Admiralty Gulf & Vansittart Bay (1826) Admiralty Chart is printed in Australia using archival methods to preserve the fine linework and historic tone.

📐 Size

775 mm (W) × 1000 mm (H)
A tall portrait format that gives the deep inlets and sweeping bays commanding wall presence.

🎯 Ideal For

• Australian exploration and maritime history collectors

• Kimberley and Western Australia heritage interiors

• Museums, libraries and universities

• Anyone fascinated by the charting of Australia’s remote north-west

🤝 Our Commitment

• Printed in Australia with professional colour management

• Archival pigment inks for long-term colour stability

• Premium laminates and canvas for durability

• Natural timber hang rails for refined presentation

• Hand-checked and carefully packed before dispatch

Before ports and place names, there was the survey.
Choose your finish and bring Admiralty Gulf & Vansittart Bay’s first true map onto your wall.