John Moresby | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1830-03-15)15 March 1830 Allerford,Somerset,England |
| Died | 12 July 1922(1922-07-12) (aged 92) Fareham,Hampshire,England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Rank | Rear admiral |
| Commands | HMS Endymion |
| Relations | Fairfax Moresby (father); L. Adams Beck (daughter) |
Rear AdmiralJohn Moresby (15 March 1830 – 12 July 1922) was a British naval officer who explored the coast ofNew Guinea and was the first European to discover the site ofPort Moresby.
Moresby was born inAllerford,Somerset,England, the son of Eliza Louisa and Admiral of the Fleet SirFairfax Moresby.[1] He joined the navy at an early age as a Volunteer 1st Class inHMSVictor.
On 23 January 1871, he was appointed to the command of the 1,031 tonpaddle steamercruiserHMSBasilisk,[2] in which he made hydrological surveys around eastern New Guinea.[3] During the survey of the southern coast he discovered the harbour which he named Fairfax after his father. The town established there, based on already existing native villages (principallyHanuabada) was named Port Moresby and is now the nation's capital.[4][5]
Moresby was also searching for a shorter route betweenAustralia andChina and on the eastern tip of the island he discovered theChina Strait. He continued exploring along the north west coast as far as theHuon Gulf.
Basilisk, under the command of Moresby, visited theEllice Islands in July 1872.[6][7]
On 29 September 1876, Moresby took command ofHMS Endymion, remaining in this position until 6 March 1878,[8] when he was appointed Captain-in-Charge of theRoyal Naval Dockyard in theImperial fortresscolony ofBermuda.[9]
He was later promoted to rear admiral and died on 12 July 1922 inFareham,Hampshire, England.[1]
In 1859 he married Jane Willis Scott (? – 1876) ofQueenstown,Ireland and had six children:
During the 1890s he lived on Tower Street inChichester.[10]
From the Melbourne Australia Argus July 15. While making these explorations Captain Moresby discovered several fine harbors, two of which were named by him Ports Moresby and Fairfax.
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