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Did Matthew Flinders prove that Tasmania is a continent?

Answer:

No - because Tasmania is not a continent.

Matthew Flinders, together with George Bass, determined that Tasmania (then known as Van Diemen's Land) was an island, and quite separate from the Australian mainland. Prior to this, sailors and explorers all believed that there was no sea passage between Tasmania and the rest of Australia.

First answer by On the Wallaby. Last edit by On the Wallaby. Contributor trust: 2762 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 4 [recommend question].

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Relevant answers:

Did Matthew Flinders find Tasmania?
No. The European discoverer of Tasmania was Abel Tasman.
What did Matthew Flinders want to prove?
Matthew Flinders wanted to help George Bass prove that Van Diemen's land (Tasmania) was an island, and not joined to the Australian continent.
What did Bass and Flinders prove about Tasmania?
Prior to 1798, it was unknown if Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) was joined to the mainland of Australia, or if it was an island. In 1797 George Bass made an expedition to the south coast of Australia,...
When did Bass and Flinders prove that Tasmania was an island?
Matthew Flinders and George Bass circumnavigated Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in 1798, thus proving it was an island.
What did Matthew Flinders do?
Matthew Flinders arrived in Australia in the 1790s and commenced exploring and charting the coast of the continent. Between December 1801 and June 1803, Flinders charted the entire coastline of...