Australia — Torres Strait, Endeavour Strait from Booby Island to Cape York (1844)

Australia — Torres Strait, Endeavour Strait from Booby Island to Cape York (1844)

The Admiralty chart that opened Australia’s northern gateway

Between the Great Barrier Reef and the shores of Cape York lies one of the most dangerous and strategically vital waterways in the southern hemisphere — Endeavour Strait. For centuries it was a maze of reefs, shoals and shifting channels that blocked access between the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

This magnificent 1844 British Admiralty chart, surveyed by Captain Francis Price Blackwood, RN, and engraved by J. & C. Walker, captures the moment this lethal passage was finally measured, charted and made navigable.

Published in London in 1846 by the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty, this was the working chart that allowed ships to safely pass through Torres Strait and connect Australia to the great sea routes of the world.

This is not a decorative map.
It is the key to Australia’s northern sea door.

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⚓ What This Chart Shows

This beautifully detailed Admiralty sheet reveals Endeavour Strait in operational precision.

• The full Endeavour Strait from Booby Island to Cape York

• Reefs, shoals and navigable channels plotted in detail

• Hundreds of bathymetric soundings showing safe depths and hazards

• Bathymetric isolines revealing seabed shape

• Captain King’s inner route — the historic safe passage through the reefs

• Coastal relief shown by hachures and spot heights

• Greenwich prime meridian — true Admiralty navigation standard

This was the chart captains trusted when entering or leaving Australia via the north.

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🧭 Why This Chart Works

Most maps show where places are.
This shows how ships survived getting there.

• Surveyed by Captain F.P. Blackwood — one of Britain’s leading hydrographers

• True British Admiralty production — the world’s gold standard

• Extraordinary technical detail — soundings, channels and reef hazards

• Historic authority — used by naval and merchant ships

• Museum-grade engraving by J. & C. Walker

This is the chart that turned Torres Strait from a barrier into a maritime highway.

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✨ Premium Finishes

Every Endeavour Strait (1844) Admiralty Chart is printed in Australia using archival methods to preserve every fine engraved line and depth figure.

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📐 Size

1000 mm (W) × 741 mm (H)
A commanding landscape wall format that captures the intricate maze of reefs and channels guarding Australia’s northern entrance.

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🎯 Ideal For

• Maritime and naval history collectors

• Yacht clubs and sailing institutions

• Museums and libraries

• Reef researchers and environmental centres

• Anyone fascinated by Australia’s northern frontier

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🤝 Our Commitment

• Printed in Australia with professional colour management

• Archival pigment inks for long-term stability

• Premium laminates and canvas for durability

• Natural timber hang rails for elegant presentation

• Hand-checked and carefully packed before dispatch

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Every ship entering Australia once passed through this strait.
Choose your finish and bring the chart that made it possible onto your wall.