Jean-François de Galaup La Pérouse was a French navigator. In 1783 the French government appointed La Pérouse to lead an expedition to the Pacific. The expedition arrived off the coast of Botany Bay on 24 January 1788, four days after the First Fleet under the command of Arthur Phillip. Bad weather prevented La Pérouse's expedition from landing until 26 January by which time Phillip had removed to Port Jackson and claimed the land for Britain. La Pérouse established a camp on the northern shore of Botany Bay, in an area now called after him, and, according to Leslie R. Marchant, 'maintained good relations with the English during his six-week stay' until 10 March when the expedition sailed away 'and was not heard of again'.
Jean-François de Galaup La Pérouse is included in AustLit because he is the subject of Australian creative writing
Source: Leslie R. Marchant, 'La Pérouse, Jean-François de Galaup (1741–1788)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/la-perouse-jean-francois-de-galaup-2329/text3029, published in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 2 July 2014.
