Skip to main content 1
Objects Gallery
5
Icon

Sextant, c 1800

A metallic device with a viewing scope and measurements

Sextant, c 1800
by Watkins, Charing Cross, London 
brass 
presented by Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, 1922 
SAFE/R 148

A navigational instrument used in celestial navigation to determine latitude and longitude, a sextant measures the angles between the sun or moon or star and the horizon.  
 
This sextant was donated to the Library by Matthew Flinders’ grandson in 1922, along with a significant collection of original manuscripts, charts and pictures relating to Flinders’ exploration and charting of the Australian coastline. Flinders produced the first complete map of Australia and was the first person to use ‘Australian’ to describe the inhabitants of this land.  

This sextant may not be the one that Flinders carried with him on board his ship Investigator – it may have been used to assist sculptor William Robert Colton in his design of the Flinders statue which was unveiled in front of the Mitchell Library in 1925.

[{"nid":"555","path":"\/objects-gallery\/etching-plates-norman-lindsay-c-1910s-1920s","field_location_number":"1","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/R177%20Copper%20plate%2001_t.jpg?itok=EmmXuFmJ","title":"Etching plates by Norman Lindsay, c 1910s - 1920s","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"557","path":"\/objects-gallery\/copper-printing-plates-sir-lionel-lindsay-1912-36","field_location_number":"2","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/DR254_t.jpg?itok=Jw9J7KR7","title":"Copper printing plates by Sir Lionel Lindsay, 1912\u201336","field_ag_locations_color":"#740658","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"558","path":"\/objects-gallery\/copper-printing-plates-sir-lionel-lindsay-1910-35","field_location_number":"3","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/DR237_t.jpg?itok=Fgt99mmG","title":"Copper printing plates by Sir Lionel Lindsay, 1910\u201335","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"559","path":"\/objects-gallery\/engraved-plates-william-moffitt-1830-1865","field_location_number":"4","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/R178%20Plate%2020_t.jpg?itok=9aWV2afW","title":"Engraved plates by William Moffitt, 1830 - 1865","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"560","path":"\/objects-gallery\/sextant-c-1800","field_location_number":"5","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL1133847_t.jpg?itok=GvCfDK4r","title":"Sextant, c\u202f1800 ","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"561","path":"\/objects-gallery\/trench-art-letter-opener-or-paper-knife-1916-18","field_location_number":"6","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL6741098_t.jpg?itok=hoDe6SdR","title":"Trench art letter opener or paper knife, 1916\u201318 ","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"563","path":"\/objects-gallery\/leg-irons-weighing-14-kilograms-prior-1849","field_location_number":"7","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL3326335_t.jpg?itok=XS8lh-tO","title":"Leg irons, weighing 14 kilograms prior to 1849","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"562","path":"\/objects-gallery\/two-pairs-manacles-possibly-port-arthur-prior-1849","field_location_number":"8","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL3246448_t.jpg?itok=TDKvfRJo","title":"Two pairs of manacles, possibly from Port Arthur prior to 1849","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"565","path":"\/objects-gallery\/bust-william-shakespeare-19th-century","field_location_number":"9","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL179528_t.jpg?itok=bgSM2SPs","title":"Bust of William Shakespeare 19th century","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"566","path":"\/objects-gallery\/breast-plates","field_location_number":"10","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL706130_t.jpg?itok=yWbyrTzM","title":"Breast plates","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"568","path":"\/objects-gallery\/death-mask-henry-lawson-c-1922","field_location_number":"11","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL3375551.jpg?itok=0YDQ8ukO","title":"Death mask of Henry Lawson, c\u202f1922","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"567","path":"\/objects-gallery\/cast-henry-lawsons-right-hand-c-1922","field_location_number":"12","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL16757556_t.jpg?itok=0zx_48v3","title":"Cast of Henry Lawson\u2019s right hand, c\u202f1922","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"569","path":"\/objects-gallery\/molten-glass-garden-palace-fire-domain-sydney-1882","field_location_number":"13","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL9151619_t.jpg?itok=f3Gb09mI","title":"Molten glass from Garden Palace fire, Domain, Sydney, 1882","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"570","path":"\/objects-gallery\/spade-presented-annie-thomasine-parkes-daughter-hon-sir-henry-parkes","field_location_number":"14","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/a1281005_t.jpg?itok=LmJTRHhT","title":"Spade presented to Annie Thomasine Parkes, daughter of Hon Sir Henry Parkes","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"571","path":"\/objects-gallery\/three-spades-presented-hon-ew-osullivan","field_location_number":"15","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/SLNSW_FL20792885_t.jpg?itok=iocP2eDA","title":"Three spades presented to Hon EW\u202fO\u2019Sullivan","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"572","path":"\/objects-gallery\/australia-vase-1906","field_location_number":"16","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL1145865_t.jpg?itok=DuWhj96s","title":"Australia vase, 1906","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"574","path":"\/objects-gallery\/candelabrum-presented-sir-francis-forbes-1836","field_location_number":"17","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL7635125_t_0.jpg?itok=ZQ1mMJKX","title":"Candelabrum presented to Sir\u202fFrancis Forbes, 1836","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"556","path":"\/object-20-bird-whistles","field_location_number":"18","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/SLNSW_FL1000095_t.jpg?itok=1JOYCEMn","title":"Bird whistles, c 1960s","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"575","path":"\/objects-gallery\/ear-trumpet-owned-writer-ethel-anderson","field_location_number":"19","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL16046643_t.jpg?itok=BjvgySlh","title":"Ear trumpet owned by writer Ethel Anderson","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"576","path":"\/objects-gallery\/hairpin-box-owned-dame-nellie-melba-1918","field_location_number":"20","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL568735_t.jpg?itok=oFGZY41I","title":"Hairpin box owned by Dame Nellie Melba, 1918","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"578","path":"\/objects-gallery\/sewing-box-or-housewife-possibly-owned-mary-putland","field_location_number":"21","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL20792706_t.jpg?itok=yTG8lU4i","title":"Sewing box, or \u2018housewife\u2019, possibly owned by Mary Putland","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"579","path":"\/objects-gallery\/engraved-cigarette-case-presented-major-francis-edward-de-groot-1932","field_location_number":"22","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-07\/SLNSW_FL20791453_t.jpg?itok=DCyCj0ov","title":"Engraved cigarette case presented to Major Francis Edward De Groot, 1932","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"577","path":"\/objects-gallery\/tin-box-issued-australian-war-contingent-association-christmas-1915","field_location_number":"23","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL1509511_t.jpg?itok=_4q6kuxZ","title":"Tin box issued by Australian War Contingent Association for Christmas 1915","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"},{"nid":"581","path":"\/objects-gallery\/spectacles-owned-journalist-and-political-advisor-george-ernest-morrison-c-1900","field_location_number":"24","field_location_image":"https:\/\/s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/slnsw.audio-guides\/production\/s3fs-public\/styles\/large\/public\/2024-06\/SLNSW_FL1632602_t.jpg?itok=tuV_MRsq","title":"Spectacles owned by journalist and political advisor George Ernest Morrison, c\u202f1900","field_ag_locations_color":"","field_audio_media":"","status":"On"}]
External Links
View catalogue record