Louis Francois Marie Aleno de Saint Aloüarn (25 July 173827 October 1772) was a notable French Navy officer and explorer. St Aloüarn was the first European to make a formal, but now unrecognised, claim of sovereignty — on behalf of France — over the west coast of Australia, which was known at the time as "New Holland". Much of this west coast had already been charted by other mariners from the Netherlands, following a landing by Dirk Hartog in 1616, who left a commemorative plaque recording his visit. James Cook, in 1770, had charted and claimed the east coast for Britain. When St Aloüarn visited New Holland in 1772, neither British nor Dutch officials had issued a formal claim over this western part of New Holland. However, the French claim over Western Australia was never secured by a permanent settlement. Early life and military career St Aloüarn's parents were François Marie Guénolé Pantaléon d’Aleno and Marie Josèphe Pélagie de Quillien, both members of the aristocracy. He was born at Saint-Aloüarn, near Guengat, Brittany. The family, including St Aloüarn's father, had a history of service in the French Navy, and St Aloüarn joined the Gardes de la Marine in 1754. As a naval cadet, he joined his uncle, René de Rosmadec St Aloüarn, on the 74-gun warship Espérance. In November 1755, as it returned from a campaign off Canada, Espérance was attacked and captured by and . St Aloüarn and his uncle became prisoners of war and were held in England for two years, before they were returned to France. Because of his bravery under fire, St Aloüarn was promoted to ensign. The war continued and St Aloüarn was posted to Martinique on the 74-gun Défenseur. His father and uncle were both killed when the Juste was destroyed in 1759, at the Battle of The Cardinals (also known as the Battle of Quiberon Bay). During 1759–62, St Aloüarn served in France on smaller vessels and on shore. Between 1762 and 1767, St Aloüarn served on the 116-gun Royal Louis and the frigate Infidèle, at Martinique and Brest. He was promoted in 1763 to lieutenant. St Aloüarn took command of the storeship Ecluse in 1767, followed by the Aber Wrac'h in 1770. In 1761, he married Marie Jeanne Corentine Drouallen, with whom he had a daughter and three sons. He was a Freemason, member of the Loge Parfaite Union of Quimper. Career