Botany Bay is not unknown to you little gun.

It was with these words that the French Ambassador, M. Roger Duzer, presented the pierrier  from La Boussole to the Laperouse Museum on behalf of Admiral Louzeau (Chief of Staff, French Navy) and the French Fleet in the Pacific. The ceremony, which was attended by crews from the Admiral Charner and La Garonne took place at the monument on Tuesday, 30th January 1990. (Front Page Southern Courier, 6 February 1990).

The pierrier was displayed in the ‘King’s Instructions’ room until 2008 when it was packed up by the National Parks staff and sent to the Maritime Museum in Paris. (Photo:  Greg Bond with cannon)

It has not been returned.

 

 

Left:  La Boussole by John Pendray, French Navy artist and below:  The first edition of the Friends Newsletter in 1990 with article about the presentation of the cannon and the Wrecks Room as it used to be in the Laperouse Museum and as it is now.