Sir Horatio Thomas Austin KCB (10 March 1800 – 16 November 1865) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer.

[1] In 1828, HMS Chanticleer was dispatched on a scientific expedition in the Pacific Ocean under the command of Captain Henry Foster, with Austin as his first lieutenant.

On the expedition, the ship circumnavigated along the Southern Hemisphere and visited the River Plate, Isla de los Estados and South Georgia, before returning to Falmouth in 1830.

[2][3][4][5] Although the expedition located only traces of Franklin's presence, Austin is credited with organising successful sledging expeditions along the coasts of several North American Arctic islands, including the island of Bathurst, Byam Martin, Melville, and Prince of Wales.

[1] Austin was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1840,[8] and was promoted to Knight Commander (KCB) in March 1865[9] just months before his death.