The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman charted the eastern coast of Bruny Island in 1642, and in 1773 Tobias Furneux gave the name 'Adventure', after his ship, to the wide bay that nearly cuts the island in two. Furneaux was part of James Cook's great Antarctic voyage of 1772-1775. Furneaux, and also Cook when he landed there four years later, met with the Nuenonne Aboriginal people, a band of the South East tribe. The best-known Tasmanian aboriginal, Trugannini (1812-1876) was of the Nuenonne people.

The Bligh Museum of Pacific Exploration at Adventure Bay has a comprehensive collection of memorabilia, books, documents, letters, maps, paintings and photographs related to Southern Ocean and Antarctic exploration. The museum is built from bricks made near the Variety Bay pilot station, North Bruny, for the Anglican church there.

The Cape Bruny lighthouse is also well worth a visit, built by convicts in the 1830s to guide vessels entering D'Entrecasteaux Channel from the stormy Southern Ocean. Until its recent automation this was the oldest continuously manned lighthouse in Australia.

If you have a fast broadband internet connection, you can also view the media-rich version of this Pathways site, which includes an audio narrative and slideshow.