Name

John Shillibeer

Culture

English

Gender

Male

Birth date

1786

Birth place

Devon, England View on map Close map

Death date

1841

Death Place

England View on map Close map

Movements

Australia 1817

Occupations

Artist (amateur) | Author | Naval Officer | Printmaker

Summary

Worked: Pacific region. Etchings.

Context

Australia

Biography

John Shillibeer born Devon, England, in 1786, was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Marines in 1804. The following year he participated in the Battle of Trafalgar and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in 1807. In December 1813 he was appointed to 'HMS Briton' commanded by Captain Thomas Staines which sailed the Pacific Ocean. He returned to England in July 1815 and published his 'A narrative of the Briton's voyage to Pitcairn's Island, including an interesting sketch of the present state of the Brazils and of Spanish South America' in 1817. An amateur artist, he etched his own illustrations (13) for his book.

Last Updated

30 Oct 2025