Alexander Dalrymple

Who was Alexander Dalrymple?

Alexander Dalrymple FRS was a Scottish geographer and the first Hydrographer of the British Admiralty. He was the main proponent of the theory that there existed a vast undiscovered continent in the South Pacific, Terra Australis Incognita. He produced thousands of nautical charts, mapping a remarkable number of seas and oceans for the first time, and contributing significantly to the safety of shipping. His theories prompted a number of expeditions in search of this mythical land, until James Cook's second journey led to the conclusion that, if it did exist, it was more southernly than the 65° line of latitude South.