George Raper (1768?-1797)

George Raper, a 19-year-old midshipman and watercolour painter, copied this chart from one drawn by his commanding officer, Captain John Hunter of HMS Sirius.

Raper accompanied Hunter and Bradley on their surveying of Sydney Harbour in January 1788. The two senior officers are thought to have been Raper’s instructors in maritime education, including teaching him subjects such as astronomy, navigation, cartography and topographical drawings.

Raper was a skilled artist who created impressive and historically significant series of maps, drawings and watercolours which documented his travels to Australia.

This map is one of the first surveys of Sydney Harbour. Freshwater sources are marked and inlets are given English placenames, some of which are still familiar today: Farm Cove, Camp Cove, Rose Bay and Manly Cove.

Other names are no longer used, such as Garden Cove (Woolloomooloo Bay); Keltie Cove (Double Bay), named for James Keltie, sailing master of HMS Supply; and Blackburn Cove (Rushcutters Bay), after David Blackburn, sailing master of HMS Sirius.

Chart of Port Jackson New South Wales : survey'd by Capt.n Iohn Hunter, Second Captain of His Majesties Ship the Sirius 1788, drawn from the original by George Raper

Printed map M2811.15/1788/1