City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

Trim, the cartographer's cat, the ship's cat who helped Flinders map Australia, Matthew Flinders, Philippa Sandall and Gillian Dooley ; illustrations by Ad Long ; foreword by Julian Stockwin

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

mapsillustrationsportraits

index present

non fiction

Trim, the cartographer's cat

bibliography

Matthew Flinders, Philippa Sandall and Gillian Dooley ; illustrations by Ad Long ; foreword by Julian Stockwin

the ship's cat who helped Flinders map Australia

Trim was the ship's cat who accompanied Matthew Flinders on his voyages to circumnavigate and map the coastline of Australia from 1801 to 1803. Trim, The Cartographer's Cat is a charming ode to the much-loved pet, which will warm the heart of any cat lover. The first part of the book reproduces Flinders' own whimsical tribute to Trim, written while in captivity in the early 1800s, with added "friendly footnotes" to provide some background to Flinders' numerous literary allusions and nautical terms. Next the book discusses where Flinders was when he wrote his tribute and why, and what his letters and journals from that time tell us about his "sporting, affectionate and useful companion." Finally, we learn what Trim's views on all of this might have been, in a fun and fanciful observation on his premature epitaph. Accompanying this jam-packed fascinating text are beautiful maps, historical photographs, quirky original illustrations by illustrator Ad Long and excerpts from Flinders' original script, showing his beautiful handwriting. This book will make a unique and treasured gift for Flinders fans and cat lovers around the world

Biographical tribute to the memory of Trim, Isle of France Dec. 1809