Commodore Sir John Hayes (February 1768 – 3 July 1831) was an English naval officer and explorer.

[3] On 6 February 1793, Hayes sailed from Calcutta on a private trading voyage with two chartered merchantmen, the 14-gun Duke of Clarence and the armed snow Duchess.

However, on passing Timor, due to adverse winds he decided to navigate around the south coast of Australia and resupply with wood and water at Adventure Bay, Tasmania.

[1] He spent some time exploring the area of the River Derwent, unaware that it had already been charted by Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.

His only son, Captain Fletcher Fulton Compton Hayes, was killed in Awadh during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.