Bellona Coast

The Bellona Reefs lie in the Coral Sea, west of New Caledonia and south of the Chesterfield reefs. Low coral formations and shallow water made the area a navigational hazard in an otherwise open stretch of sea between New Caledonia and Australia.

In 1793, Matthew Boyd reported the southern reefs while commanding the ship Bellona on a voyage from Sydney toward Canton. The reefs took their name from the vessel. They were among the many banks and shoals that European navigators encountered and charted in the Coral Sea during this period.