Matthew Flinders and His Cat

Lucie ready for a picnic

The arrival of three kittens in our household this past spring has altered our lives: it has changed routines, conversations and, perhaps, improved our moods. While spending time with our clowder, not a day goes by without a laugh or a chuckle generated from out furry ersatz children. Lately our conversations have focused on the prospect of Lucie, Pip and Coco traveling as they get older. Will they join us on vacation? How will we arrange the car when they travel? What destinations would be feline-friendly? To that end, we have begun to introduce evening excursions around town. Upon returning, the kittens are praised for their bravery and limited vocal complaints emanating from the backseat. We assure ourselves that they will be good at traveling. 

The Statue of Trim at the State Library of New South Wales

The clowder appears to be off to a good start, but no matter how well the three do, it is doubtful that they will ever that they will ever travel even ten percent of the distances covered by Flinders’s cat. Trim is memorialized with a statue on Macquarie Street at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney. He accompanied his human, Matthew Flinders on an exploration from Britain to Australia, and then in a survey of the continent. Flinders was the first to refer to Australia as a continent and his subsequent book and atlas were lauded.  His story is interesting as well, but a statue of a cat, among the pantheon or monuments of colonial leaders in Australia’s largest city, draws interest and imagination. 

Flinders with Trim in the background

Flinders wrote a loving tribute to his feline companion upon his death, which is recorded on a plaque at the library: “The best and most illustrious of his race. The most affectionate of friends, faithful of servants, and best of creatures. He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia, which he circumnavigated, and was ever the delightful and pleasure of his fellow voyagers.” 

Even after just a few months, we have grown completely smitten with LPC. As I write this, they are less than six months old; their curiosity knows no bounds, and they are hardly the picture of a calm demeanor and stateliness that are often associated with cats. Nevertheless, Trim is an example of why we value cats in our lives. They are good companions, wanting to share our home and time, they make us laugh, and the reciprocate our affection with theirs.

Paw prints on the railing leading to Trim's location