As a young second-class midshipman of eighteen Hyacinthe de Bougainville participated in the 1800-02 Baudin expedition to Australia.

In Australia, he obtained authorisation to build a monument for Laperouse, on a piece of land given by Sir Brisbane.

[5] Although they had numerous presents for the Emperor, and a 28 January 1824 letter from Louis XVIII, the ambassadors could not obtain an audience from Minh Mạng.

[6] Hyacinthe de Bougainville infiltrated Father Regéreau from the Thétis when it was anchored in Da Nang, triggering edicts of persecution against Christianity by Minh Mạng.

That same year, he visited Port Jackson[8] and Sydney where he set up a monument to La Pérouse and erected a grave for le Receveur in Botany Bay.