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Kōrero: Place names

Marcaciones Point, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland

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Marcaciones Point, Doubtful Sound, Fiordland

In 1793 a round-the-world Spanish expedition (then in its fourth year) led by the Italian Captain Alessandro Malaspina spent three days in Fiordland. Don Felipe Bauza carried out a reconnaissance of Doubtful Sound on 25 February. Bauza named a number of places including Marcaciones Point. He took observations there and ‘marcaciones’ is Spanish for markings. In his charting of Doubtful Sound in 1851 Captain Stokes of the Acheron changed many of Bauza’s names, but they have been reinstated. This plaque was unveiled in 1984.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10058691

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Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Malcolm McKinnon, Place names – Early explorers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/19335/marcaciones-point-doubtful-sound-fiordland (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Malcolm McKinnon, i tāngia i te 1 March 2009.

Comments


17 March 2015
The ships on Malaspina’s expedition were the Descubierta and the Atrevida.
maurice solomon
10 March 2015
i believe captain malispina, bauza,arrived in doubtful sound in command of spanish expedition aboard two frigates.te descaberta and the atravieda