2025-04 John Rogers  on Darwin's voyage on the Beagle

In 1831, Charles Darwin, then only 22 years old, received an astounding invitation: to join the HMS Beagle as ship's naturalist for a trip around the world. For most of the next five years, the Beagle surveyed the coast of South America, leaving Darwin free to explore the continent and islands, including the Galápagos.  John will speak to us about that famous voyage, which Darwin came to regard as by far the most important event of his life. 

The topic is most apposite because a new bust of Charles Darwin as a young man is to be unveiled in Simon's Town on Sunday, 27th April, 2025, by a great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin, the botanist Dr Sarah Darwin. She will arrive aboard the Dutch sailing-ship Oosterschelde, which will be anchored in Simon's Town, where HMS Beagle was anchored for 18 days in 1836, on the final leg of Darwin’s voyage.