Story: Place names

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.