|
The exploration and mapping of the Australian coastline in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. |
| 1606 |
Captain Willem Janszoon in the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) ship Duyfken landed on Australia's northern coast on the
western side of Cape York Peninsula at Pennefather River and charted 300 kilometers of coastline. This
was the first time Europeans had made contact with, and mapped part of, 'Australia'.
|
| 1606 |
Luis Vaez de Torres from Spain was the first European to succesfully navigate the
passage between New Guinea and Cape York
Peninsula, in Australia's north. The passage was later named after him - Torres
Strait.
|
| 1616 |
Dirck Hartogh, Captain of the VOC ship Eendracht, became the first European to set foot on Western Australian soil when
he landed on an island, at the entrance to Shark Bay, now bearing his name. He left behind an
inscribed pewter plate. Continued sailing north along the coast calling the land "Eendracht's Land".
|
| 1618 |
Captain Haevik Claeszoon van Hillegom and Upper Merchant
Pieter Dirkzoon in the VOC ship Zeewolf sighted the west coast of Australia
in the vicinity of North West Cape.
|
| 1618 |
Captain Lenaert Jacobszoon and Upper Merchant Willem Janszoon
(Captain of the Duyfken in 1606) in the VOC ship Mauritius sighted the coast at North West Cape in Western Australia.
|
| 1619 |
Captain Frederick de Houtman in the VOC ship Dordrecht and
Jacob d'Edel,
Councillor of the Indies, in the VOC ship Amsterdam sighted the land south of the
mouth of the Swan River
which they called "d'Edelsland". de Houtman sailed north keeping the coast in sight when he
came across small islands surrounded by coral reefs (Houtman Abrolhos).
|
| 1622 |
The VOC ship Leeuwin was almost
shipwrecked at the south western extremity of Western Australia now called Cape Leeuwin.
|
| 1622 |
The ship Wapen van Hoorn was almost
shipwrecked on the west coast.
|
| 1622 |
John Brookes was the Captain of the English ship Tryall which became Australia's
first recorded shipwreck when it ran onto reefs near the Montebello Islands.
The Captain and 45 crew managed to sail 2 boats to Batavia leaving 93 behind to
perish.
|
| 1623 |
Captain Jan Carstenszoon in the VOC ship Pera
and Captain Willem van Coolsteerd in the
VOC ship Arnhem explored the south coast of New Guinea and the western side of
Cape York Peninsula.
Cartenszoon charted the Gulf of Carpentaria naming it in honour of Pieter de
Carpentier, the Governor-General in
Batavia. van Coolsteerd charted the land now called Arnhem Land.
|
| 1623 |
Captain Claes Hermanszoon in the VOC ship
Leyden
charted further regions of the west coast south of Shark Bay.
|
| 1624 |
The ship Tortelduyf discovered Tortelduyf
Island off the west coast south of the Houtman Abrolhos.
|
| 1626 |
Captain Daniel Janssen Cock sighted "Zuydtland"
in the VOC ship Leyden.
|
| 1627 |
Captain Francois Thyssen and Peter Nuyts, Councillor of the Indies,
in their VOC ship Gulden Zeepaert charted the southern region from Cape Leeuwin
to Nuyts Archipelago, some 1800 kms, naming the area "Nuyt's Land". They also
discovered 2 islands
which they named St Francis and St Pieter.
|
| 1627 |
Commander Jan Pieterszoon Coen, who was later
to become Governor-General of the East Indies, charted land on the west coast at Latitude 28°30'S in the
VOC ships Galias, Utrecht and Texel. He later stressed the importance of accurate charting to the Directors of the VOC.
|
| 1627 |
The VOC ship Wapen van Hoorn, commanded
by Upper Merchant J van Roosenbergh, charted more parts of the west coast not far from Dirk Hartog Island.
|
| 1628 |
Captain Gerrit Frederikszoon de Wit, in the VOC ship Vianen sighted the west coast at
latitude 21°S and charted the coast for over 300 kms going north. He named the land "de Wit's Land".
|
| 1629 |
The VOC ship
Batavia under the command
of Commander Francois Pelsaert was wrecked on Morning Reef in the Wallabi Group of the Abrolhos Islands
just 60 km off the coast of Geraldton, Western Australia. Pelsaert sailed to Batavia in long boat
to get a rescue ship. Meanwhile a devastating mutiny broke out resulting in the killing of
many survivors. See Batavia Graveyard.
|
| 1629 |
Commander Pelsaert returned from Batavia in the VOC ship Sardam
to rescue survivors of the wrecked Batavia. Pelsaert hangs many of the mutineers and maroons two on the mainland before returning to Batavia.
|
| 1631 |
The VOC ship Grooten Broeck
sailed along the west coast from Cape Leeuwin to Dirk Hartog Island on the way to Batavia.
|
| 1635 |
The VOC ship Amsterdam under the
command of Woolebrand Geleynszoon de Jongh charted the west coast around the latitude of
Shark Bay.
|
| 1636 |
Commander Pieter Pieterszoon with the VOC ships
Klein Amsterdam and Wezel charted the northern coast of the
Soutland naming the land "van Diemen's Land".
|
| 1642 |
Abel Janszoon Tasman, while searching
for the great South Land with 2 ships, the Heemskerck
and Zeehaen, discovered the west coast of "van Diemen's Land" (Tasmania) and
sailed on to sight "Statenlandt"
(New Zealand). He continued on and found the islands of Tonga and Fiji.
|
| 1644 |
Abel Janszoon Tasman commanded a second expedition with
3 ships, the Zeemeeuw, Limmen and Bracq and explored and charted
the northern and western coast from Cape York to Point Cloates in the west.
He called the western part of the new continent "New Holland".
VOC cartographers were able to map all known chartings of most of the continent except the eastern part which still remained a mystery.
|
| 1648 |
Jan Janszoon Zeeuw in the VOC ship Leeuwerik
charted the west coast, weather conditions permitting, on his way north to Batavia.
|
| 1656 |
The
VOC ship Vergulde Draeck
(also known as Gilt Dragon) under the command of Pieter Albertsz ran onto a reef
5 kms off the coast of Western Australia south west of where the town of Ledge Point
is now and was wrecked.
The site is about 100 kms north of the present site of Perth. The ship's boat with 7 men sailed
to Batavia to get help. Read about the wrecking and rescue attempts.
|
| 1656 |
Two rescue ships, the Goede Hoop
and Witte Valk were dispatched from Batavia to search for survivors.The Witte Valk could not
approach land due to furious storms and rough seas. The Goede Hoop was more persistent and
managed to land search parties at the appropriate latitude but found no survivors and lost 11 men
in the process.
|
| 1657 |
The flute Vink sailed from the Cape to
Batavia with orders to call at New Holland and search for survivors. Once again there was no success, primarily due to
bad weather and rough seas.
|
| 1658 |
Two more ships, Waeckende Boei
and Emeloort, under the command of Samuel Volkerson and Aucke Pietersz Jonck respectively,
were sent to search for survivors of the Vergulde Draeck. They sailed up and down the coast
and made several landings finding wreckage but no survivors. Volkerson left a search party of 14
men marooned on the mainland.
|
| 1658 |
Captain Jacob Pieterszoon Peereboom explored the
region north of Cape Leeuwin in his ship Elburgh. A landing party found some
Aborigines who fled on their arrival.
|
| 1678 |
Captain Jan van der Wall explored and charted
the northwest
coast of New Holland in his VOC ship Vliegende Swaan from present-day Dampier to
the Exmouth Gulf.
|
| 1688 |
Captain William Dampier visited the
west coast with his ship Cygnet remaining for 3 months at King Sound for ship repairs.
|
| 1694 |
The VOC ship Ridderschap van Holland,
not heard of again since departing the Cape of Good Hope, was most likely shipwrecked on the
west coast, probably on the Abrolhos Islands.
|
| 1696 |
An expedition of 3 ships, the Geelvink,
Nijptangh and Weseltje, under the command of Commander Willem de Vlamingh
and Captains Gerrit Collaert and Cornelis de Vlamingh was dispatched to look for the Ridderschap
van Holland and explore New Holland. Explored Rottnest Island, the mainland around
the Swan River (present site of Perth) and several points along the coast going north. Landed
on Dirk Hartog Island,
where de Vlamingh retrieved Hartogh's pewter plate and left his own behind,
before heading for Batavia.
|
| 1699 |
Eleven years after his first voyage to New Holland
Dampier was back in the Roebuck. He studied the land around Shark Bay, which he named, then sailed
north to Dampier Archipelago and on towards Timor and beyond. He reported that he was not impressed
with New Holland.
|
1705 |
Three ships, de Vossenbosch, Waaier
and Nova Hollandia, under the command of Commander Maarten van Delft explored the Gulf of
Carpentaria and the northern coast of New Holland.
|
| 1712 |
The VOC ship Zuytdorp, Captained by
Marinus Wijsvliet, wrecked on the mainland coast of New Holland just south of Shark Bay, on
rocks at the bottom of cliffs now named after the ship.
|
| 1727 |
The Zeewijck, with Captain Jan Steyns, was
wrecked off the west coast of New Holland on the Abrolhos Islands. The survivors managed to built
a boat from the wreckage, called it Sloepie and sailed it to Batavia.
|
| 1756 |
The ships Rijder, with Captain Jean Gonzal, and Buis, with Captain Lavienne Lodewijk van
Asschens, further explored the Gulf of Carpentaria making landfall a number of times.
|
| 1768 |
The French ships Boudeuse and Etoile under the command of
Commander Louis de Bougainville and Captain Chesnard de la Giraudais came close to the east coast
but the danger of reefs (Great Barrier Reef) forced them north to New Guinea.
|
| 1770 |
Captain James Cook in his ship Endeavour first sighted the east coast of Australia
at Point Hicks. He sailed up the east coast making several landings including Botany Bay. Discovered the Barrier Reef
and the ship sustained damage when it struck coral. It was repaired at the present site of Cooktown.
Sailed north and on Possession Island - north of Cape York - Cook took possession of the east coast
of Australia for Britain.
|
| 1772 |
The Gros Ventre, Captain Francois de Saint Allouarn, sighted the west coast of Australia
at Cape Leeuwin. Sailed north to Dirk Hartog Island where he claimed the west coast of
Australia for France before
sailing to Mauritius via Timor.
|
| 1772 |
The crew of the ships Mascarin and Marquis de Castries under
the command of Commander Marion Dufresne made landfall on Tasmania before sailing to New
Zealand where the commander and some crew were killed by Maoris.
|
| 1788 |
Captain Arthur Phillip led an expedition of 11 ships to the east coast to establish a penal
settlement at Botany Bay. Found the site unsuitable and choose Port Jackson as the site for the settlement.
|
| 1788 |
The Boussole and Astrolabe with Commander Jean
Francois de Galaup, Comte de la Perouse, and Captain Fleuriot de Langle visited Botany Bay and
Port Jackson - six days after Captain Phillip.
Was not seen again after leaving Australian coast. Thought to have come to grief in the Solomons.
|
| 1792 |
Commander George Vancouver with his ships Discovery and
Chatham sails along the south coast of Western Australia naming King George Sound.
|
| 1792 |
Commander Joseph Bruni d'Entrecasteaux and Captain Huon de Kermadec in the
ships Recherche and Esperance sighted Cape Leeuwin and sailed
eastwards along the south coast before heading for Tasmania. Both men died during the voyage.
|
Read more about the VOC
- The Dutch East Indies Company -
and its activities along Western Australia's coastline
at the
VOC Historical
Society Inc.
"Enriching Australian History"
website.
Website created by the VOC Historical Society, Perth, Western Australia, 23 July 2003.