The deep blue sea has been an endless source of inspiration, wonder and imagination for explorers and writers alike. Australia's history and national character have been defined by the fact that we live on an isolated island continent girt by sea. The Best Australian Sea Stories is full of fascinating history, drama, and surprise. These stories trace the maritime history of Australia from the earliest times to today. From first - hand accounts of voyages from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to modern accounts of refugee 'boat people', the book is a dazzling compendium of the famous and obscure, the brave and the jinxed, human achievement and tragedy. From the mystery of the mahogany ship and the Dieppe map, which point to Portuguese discovery of Australia's entire east coast in 1522, to the poignancy of Matthew Flinders' wife waiting nine years while he charted the coast of the land he named 'Australia', survived shipwrecks and became a political prisoner of the French, this book is full of amazing stories of bravery and endeavour, war and salvation.