Flinders

Flinders is a surname of English origin and a place name used in Australia and elsewhere. The name is most closely associated with Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), a British navigator and cartographer who led the first circumnavigation of Australia and produced detailed coastal charts. His work helped establish the outline of the Australian coastline and contributed to the naming of many geographic features.

In Australia, several places and institutions bear the Flinders name. Flinders Island, in the Furneaux Group of Tasmania, is the largest island in that archipelago. The Flinders Ranges are a prominent mountain range in northern South Australia, known for their rugged scenery and national park status. In Melbourne, Flinders Street runs along the Yarra River and is home to Flinders Street Station, a major railway hub; nearby Flinders Lane is a notable street in the central business district. In Adelaide, Flinders University is a public research university named for Matthew Flinders, and Flinders Medical Centre is a major teaching hospital in the suburb of Bedford Park. The town of Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria is another toponymic usage.

Overall, Flinders serves as both a family name and a geographic toponym reflecting the historical influence of Matthew Flinders on exploration and cartography in Australia.