Frenchman's Rock

Kangaroo Island


When intrepid French explorer Nicholas Baudin surveyed the KI coast in 1803, he came ashore at what's now Penneshaw for a look around. He left his mark: under a white concrete dome on the shoreline is a replica of KI's first graffiti – a rock engraved with 'Expedition De Decouverte par le Commendant Baudin sur Le Geographe 1803' ('Expedition of discovery by Commander Baudin on Le Geographe 1803'). The original rock can be seen safely preserved at the Gateway Visitor Information Centre nearby.