Martin Islet () is a small island lying just off Red Point, Port Kembla in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

William Martin

The Five Islands, of which Martin Islet is one, were named Martins Isles by

Matthew Flinders Captain Matthew Flinders (16 March 1774 – 19 July 1814) was a British navigator and cartographer who led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia, then called New Holland. He is also credited as being the first person to u ...

and

George Bass George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia. Early years Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George ...

after Bass's navy servant William Martin. Martin was part of their three-man crew when they anchored by the island on 25 March 1796 in the ''Tom Thumb'', having been swept a long way off-course on their way to

Port Hacking Port Hacking Estuary ( Aboriginal Tharawal language: ''Deeban''), an open youthful tide dominated, drowned valley estuary, is located in southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia approximately south of Sydney central business district. Port ...

.Miriam Estensen, ''The Life of George Bass'', Allen and Unwin, 2005, . Little is known of Martin's life. He was baptised on 4 March 1781 at

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...

. In 1794 aged 13 he was employed by the navy as a

loblolly boy Loblolly boy is the informal name given to the assistants to a ship's surgeon aboard British and American warships during the Age of Sail. The name derives from a porridge traditionally served to sick or injured crew members. The term is no longe ...

, meaning personal servant, to Bass who was the surgeon on board HMS ''Reliance'' for her voyage to Australia. Martin was still with Bass in 1799 at age 18 when Bass left the navy, but at that point record of him ends.

References

{{reflist Islands of New South Wales