At 10 a.m. on 20 February 1873, he claimed the land for Britain and named it after his father, Admiral Sir Fairfax Moresby.
Ás 10 da mañá do 20 de febreiro de 1873, John Moresby reclamou para o Reino Unido a posesión das terras atopadas, chamadas así en honra do seu pai, o almirante sir Fairfax Moresby.