A SHIP'S log charting an epic voyage to Australia more than 200 years ago has been discovered in a box in an attic.

The log by an officer on board the HMS Sirius, the flagship on the first fleet sent out to establish the first European colony in New South Wales, has been found by a Dorchester man and is set to make one final voyage back there.

The finder of the log, who has asked to remain anonymous, found it in a box of papers that had been found in a loft and was passed on to him as a relative of Vice Admiral Sir John Edgell, who died in 1962.

Amongst the papers were five sea diaries penned by John Edgell's grandfather, Vice-Admiral Harry Edgell, between 1831 and 1857.

Somewhere in Harry Egdell's travels he came into the possession of the journal of a Lieutenant Bradly, who was officer on board HMS Sirius from 1787 to 1792.

The ship led a fleet of 12 vessels on a voyage of 252 days from Portsmouth to Australia and was later wrecked at Norfolk Island when a shift in the wind pinned her to a reef.

All of the crew made it safely assure, including Lt Bradley and his log, which includes a number of maps and paintings from his exploits.

The amazingly detailed record of the voyage has now been rebound and recovered by Dorchester bookbinder Frank Brown and it has been digitised by local printer Brian Newton.

Frank spent several months working on the project and said it was fascinating to work with such an interesting piece of history.

He said: "It's been an honour to do it, I have been very please to do it."

Brian described it as a "labour of love", adding: "It's amazing to get hold of something that's two hundred years old.

"And the thing is it was in a box in someone's loft for years."

Frank added: "This hasn't been handled by many people since it was written."

Frank, who tried to replicate the 18th century style when rebinding the journal, described the project as one of the best things he had ever done.

The owner of the journal says he wants the rebound journal to go back to New South Wales, where there is a museum dedicated to HMS Sirius.

He also wants to send a disc with the digital version to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.