Dutch Voyages and Charting of the coast of Western Australia 1616-1727 - Dutch Australia Cultural Centre

YEAR	NAVIGATORS	VESSELS	LOCATIONS	KEY EVENTS	KEY REFERENCES
1616	Dirk Hartog	Eendracht	Dirk Hartog Island	1^st recorded sighting of west coast of Australia. Arrived 25 October, sailed 27 October. Left Hartog Plate.	Major pp.ixxxi-xxxiv; Heeres pp.8-10
1618	Haevik Claesz. van Hillegom	Zeewolf	North West Cape	Sighted North West Cape on 11 May.	Heeres pp.10-12
1618	Lenaert Jacobsz.	Mauritius	North West Cape; Willems River	July 31, both Antony van Diemen and Willem Janszoon were aboard. Willems River (Yardie Creek) named after Janszoon.	Heeres pp.12-13; Schilder p.72
1619	Jansz. Reiner, Kornelisz. Marten	Dordrecht, Amsterdam	Lower west coast up to North West Cape	Frederik de Houtman and Jacob Dedel aboard. Charted Dedel’s Land, part of Rottnest Island and Houtman Abrolhos Islands.	Heeres pp.14-16; Schilder pp.75-77
1622	Jan Franssen or Fransz. van Hoorn	Leeuwin	Cape Leeuwin and south coast for 150 kms	First sighting of Cape Leeuwin and charting of south coast of Australia.	Heeres p.18.
1622	Roelof Pietersz.	‘t Wapen van Hoorn	Probably Edel Land (western most peninsula of Shark Bay or Dirk Hartog Island	Ran aground June 1622, refloated.	Heeres p.18
1623	Claes Hermanszoon	Leijden	South of Dirk Hartog Island	1^st European baby born in Australian waters.	Heeres p.49 Estensen p.152
1626	Daniel Cock	Leijden	Zuytdorp Cliffs to Dirk Hartog Island	Sighted coast but did not land.	Heeres p.50 Estensen p.152
1627	Commander Peter Nuyts, Skipper François Thijssen	‘t Gulden Zeepaert	Charted south coast of Australia as far as Fowler’s Bay, SA	First extensive charting of south coast and of SA coast.	Heeres p.51; Schilder pp.106-7
1627	Jan Pietersz Coen	Galias, Utrecht, Texel	Lat. 28⁰ 30′ S, almost strike reefs around Abrolhos Islands	Governor General of Indies, Jan Pieterszoon Coen aboard Gallias (incognito). Recommends more detailed charting of Southland by Dutch East India Company.	Heeres p.51-2
1627	Commander J. van Roosenburgh, Skipper David Piertsz. de Vries	‘t Wapen Van Hoorn	Near Dirk Hartog Island	Charting leads to revisions to map of Eendracht Land.	Heeres p.52-3
1628	Gerrit Frederiksz. de Witt	Vianen	North west coast (de Witt’s Land)	Chart 370 kms of north west coast.	Heeres p.54 Estensen p.155
1629	Francisco Pelsaert	Batavia	Northern Group, Houtman Abrolhos Islands	Ship wrecked on June 4 on Morning Reef and Batavia Mutiny follows. First European structures built in Australia (still extant). First description of an Australian marsupial.	Heeres pp.58-62
1629	Francisco Pelsaert	Sardam	Houtman Abrolhos Islands	Returns with rescue ship in September, puts down Mutiny, tries mutineers, salvages material from wreck, maroons 2 mutineers on mainland (probably at Hutt River), before taking survivors back to Batavia.	Major pp.59-74 Heeres pp.58-62
1635	Wijbrandt Geleynsz. de Jongh	Amsterdam	West coast around 25⁰ S	Charted stretch of coast	Heeres pp.62-64
1644	Abel Tasman
1648	Jan Jansz. Zeeuw	Leeuwerik	Western Australian coast 25-26⁰ S	Journal and charts missing.	Heeres pp.73-74
1656	Pieter Albertsz.	Vergulde Draeck	Off Ledge Point, 95 kms north of Perth	Struck reef 5 kms off the coast on night of 28 April. 75 people made it to shore, 7 sent in boat to Batavia to raise the alarm, remaining 68 never seen again despite numerous searches.	Heeres pp.75-76
1656	?	Goede Hoop & Witte Valcq	Vessels sent to search for survivors along part of coast where Vergulde Draeck sank	No sign of Skipper and crew of Vergulde Draeck, not found, Goede Hoop loses 11 men on the coast during the search.	Heeres pp.75
1657	Joost Jansz.	Vincq	Sailing from Cape of Good Hope, conducts search in area where Vergulde Draeck sank	Encounters stormy weather and has no success in search for survivors of Vergulde Draeck.	Heeres pp.75-77
1658	Samuel Volckersen, Aucke Pieter Jonck	Waekende Boey & Emeloordt	Conduct another search for survivors of Vergulde Draeck along coast where it sank	Remains of wreck and campsite found but unable to relocate survivors; land on Rottnest Island; make first European drawings of Australia.	Heeres pp.76-80
1658	Jacob Pietersz. Peereboom	Elburgh	Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste area	Brief encounter Wardandi Aboriginal people. They flee and leave behind fire, tools and huts.	Heeres pp.81
1659	Dirk Dirksz. Jonas	Immenhorn	West coast in vicinity of where Vergulde Draeck sank in 1656	Last ship sent to search for survivors of Vergulde Draeck, unable to land because of bad weather.	VOC website
1678	Jan van der Wall	Vliegende Zwaan	North west coast	Further charting of north west coast from North West Cape to Roebuck Bay.	Heeres pp.81-2
1696-7	Willem de Vlamingh	Geelvinck, Nijptang, Weseltje	From Perth region to North West Cape	Chart and explore Swan River, visit Rottnest Island, remove Hartog Plate, replacing with Vlamingh Plate; Artist Victor Victorsz. produces numerous coastal profiles.	Heeres pp.83-86
1712	Marinus Wijsvliet	Zuytdorp	60 kms north of mouth of Murchison River	Wreck and survivor’s campsite come to light in 1927. Coins establish identity of wreck. Unknown number of survivors (40-140) moved away.	Estensen pp.203-204; Henderson p.35
1727	Jan Steyns	Zeewijk	Pelsaert Group, Houtman Abrolhos Islands	Longboat sent for help but disappears. Crew then construct their own longboat, Sloepie, 1^stEuropean vessel built in Australia, and sail to Batavia.	Heeres p.91

References

Estensen, M. 1998 Discovery – The Quest for the Great South Land, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest.

Heeres, J.E. 1899 The Part Borne By The Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606 – 1765, E J Brill, Luzac and Co, London, Leiden.

Henderson G. 1980 Unfinished Voyages – Western Australian Shipwrecks 1622-1850, University

of Western Australia Press, Nedlands.

Major, R.H. 1859 Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Hakluyt Society, London.

Schilder, G. 1976 Australia Unveiled: The Share of the Dutch Navigators in the Discovery of Australia, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Amsterdam.

Timeline of exploration and survey of the coastline.

Source: Great Southern Land: the Maritime Exploration of Terra Australis

Categories: Dutch – Australian HistoryMaritime HistoryPrimary Research