Captain Matthew Flinders: Explorer who 'named Australia' reburied at Lincolnshire birthplace

• Report by Emma Wilkinson

The remains of a renowned explorer who is credited with naming Australia have been reburied in the Lincolnshire village where he was born 250 years ago.

Hundreds of people lined the streets of Donington as Captain Matthew Flinders was laid to rest in the grounds of the church where he was baptised.

Dignitaries from Australia and Mauritius - where Capt Flinders was held captive during the Napoleonic wars - made the journey for the ceremony.

The Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, said: "Lots of people in South Australia have grown up learning about Matthew Flinders, about how he mapped our coastline and gave many of the places along our coast their first names.

"Fowlers Bay, Cape Catastrophe, Port Lincoln - they were all named by Flinders. And of course Flinders' name is everywhere in South Australia.

"So it was very moving to be here for a funeral, essentially, for the reburial of his remains that were so amazingly discovered."

Capt Flinders was a navigator and cartographer who produced the first comprehensive charts of Australia's coastline.

He is also credited as being the first person to use the name "Australia" to describe the entirety of the continent.

Flinders died in London 1814 and his remains were lost when Euston station was expanded in the 1840s and it encroached on the burial ground.

But five years ago archaeologists working on the HS2 rail project found the remains, which they were able to identify because of a lead plate above his coffin.

Since 2019, volunteers have worked to bring him home.

As a naval captain, Capt Flinders' coffin was carried by pallbearers from the Royal Navy and he received a guard of honour and gun salute.

Three of his great great great granddaughters travelled with their families to the reburial in Donington.

Susie Flinders Beatty said: "Our children are so, so excited to be here and be part of this whole experience, learning about Matthew Flinders, learning about his achievements. And how proud they feel as well, it's really wonderful."

In Australia, many landmarks and streets are named after Flinders, such as Flinders Bay, Flinders Street railway station in Melbourne and Flinders University in Adelaide.

Jane Pearson, who led the 'Matthew Flinders Bring Him Home' campaign said she hopes his story will become more well known in the country of his birth

She said: "He is virtually unknown in his own land and yet his life story is more dramatic and more poignant than any soap.

"We've always known about Flinders in Donington, but this event has really brought him to the forefront. I couldn't have imagined it would ever be anything on this scale, it has been fantastic. It's a great benefit for the village and something to build on for the future."