When the expedition left Brest on 28 September 1791 the plan of the voyage was to proceed to New Holland (Australia), to sight Cape Leeuwin, then to hug the shore closely all the way to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), inspecting every possible harbour in a rowing boat.

Bruni d'Entrecasteaux made for Cape Leeuwin to carry out his original instructions of searching southern New Holland for La Pérouse. On 6 December land was sighted near Cape Leeuwin, and named D'Entrecasteaux Point. As they sailed further east, they penetrated numerous islands and dangerous shoals, to which they gave the name D'Entrecasteaux Islands — later changed to the Recherche Archipelago.

 

While the Frenchmen were still in that dangerous area, on 12 December a violent storm descended upon them, and both ships were nearly wrecked. Fortunately, however, they found an anchorage where they were able to ride out the worst of the gale. Landings were made here on the mainland, and the locality was named in honour of Legrand, who had spotted the anchorage, and the ship he was on, Espérance.

The search for La Pérouse ended up being vain. In 1828, the captain Dumont d’Urville discovered the place where the ship of La Pérouse was wrecked. French undersea expeditions have been exploring the wrecks of La Perouse's two ships since 1981.

 

Until the First French Republic of 9 November 1799 and the year of Napoléon’s Coup d’Etat, no thought of further voyages of explorations had been entertained.

However Napoléon was a staunch supporter of the sciences, arts, education, and also a member of the Institut de France. In early 1800 this fresh and favourable attitude to scientific investigation, together with Napoléon’s personal interest in Australia, developed after he had read the narratives of Dampier and James Cook’s expeditions. The combination of scientific interest, the two explorers’ narratives and the desire to impress Europe with interest in non-military questions inspired Napoléon to endorse new proposals for voyages of exploration in the Southern Seas. It was along the Australian coast that the greatest expanse of unchartered territory laid.