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3 unusual facts about George Collingridge


George Collingridge

He was born in Oxfordshire, England, educated in Paris, served in the Papal Zouaves (alongside his brother Alfred, who died in the Battle of Mentana), and migrated to Australia in 1879 aboard the Lusitania (not the ship of the same name that sank in 1915).

His publication of The Discovery of Australia in 1895 earned him accolade as a "genius" and as "an authority on geographical matters" from members of the Royal Geographical Society as well as foreign honours: in 1908 he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of Santiago by the King of Portugal.

Collingridge's distant relative, Vanessa Collingridge, published a book on Captain Cook, entitled Captain Cook (2002), and the publication of this book has caused a certain resurgence of interest in George Collingridge in recent years.



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