John Clements Wickham

Naval career On 21 February 1812 John Clements Wickham joined the Royal Navy. By 1815 he was an Admiralty Midshipman and was posted to HMS Nightingale and in 1818 was posted to HMS Hyperion before being paid off. He passed his Lieutenant's examination in 1819.

From 1837 to 1841, the Beagle charting the coasts of north western Australia and Arnhem Land. In 1839, Stokes sighted a natural harbour which Wickham named Port Darwin after their former shipmate.

Some notable events: Reached Swan River: 15 November 1837 Discovered Fitzroy River: 1838 Left Sydney for Port Essington: 22 May 1839 Arrived at Port Essington: January 1840 Discovered and named Adam Bay: 1840 L. R. (Lewis Roper) Fitzmaurice (mate) discovered Adelaide River mouth at the Clarence Strait: 1840 Discovered Port Darwin: 1840 Discovered Victoria River: 1840 Discovered Fitzmaurice River: 1840 Wickham and Stokes found evidence of Zeewijk, (a Dutch East Indiaman wrecked 1727) on Gun Island off Geraldton: April 1840 In 1841, Wickham fell ill and resigned his command which was taken over by Stokes, who continued the survey and completed the voyage in 1843. Darwin also took a Galápagos tortoise named Harriet which he gave to Wickham, who brought it to Brisbane. The tortoise gained fame for her longevity, living 175 years until 2006.

Later life Wickham became the police magistrate at the Moreton Bay District of New South Wales (now Queensland).

From 1853, he was Government Resident of the Moreton Bay District and resided at Newstead House, Brisbane.

In 1859, Wickham moved to the south of France, where he lived until his death in 1864.

Commemorations

Places Australia Cape Wickham and Cape Wickham Lighthouse, Tasmania; Point Wickham, now known as Caloundra Headland on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; two islands in Western Australia a small island off Bernouilli Island (Timor Sea); a former name of Stanley Island, in the Recherche Archipelago; two different hills or peaks named Mount Wickham, in the Northern Territory and Queensland; Wickham, New South Wales, a suburb of Newcastle, which includes Wickham Park; the town of Wickham, Western Australia; the headland of Wickham Point in the Northern Territory Wickham Park, Brisbane; Wickham River, Northern Territory; a major street in Brisbane, Wickham Terrace, where is the notable Wickham Hotel, as well as "Wickham Streets" in Fortitude Valley, Queensland, and Townsville, and Wyndham Vale, Victoria.

Chile Wickham Island

Falkland Islands Wickham Heights, including Mount Wickham

Solomon Islands Wickham Island, New Georgia Islands group

Other commemorations Two defunct electorates in Australian state parliaments, namely Electoral district of Wickham (New South Wales) Electoral district of Wickham (Queensland) An Australian plant: Grevillea wickhamii (Wickham's Grevillea).