Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia has a long and complex history of European exploration and colonisation. The continent was first explored by Europeans in 1606, when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon landed on the Cape York Peninsula. In 1788, British colonisation began with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales, with the First Fleet of British ships arriving at Botany Bay. The British treated Australia as a colony of settlement, taking over Aboriginal land on the premise that it belonged to no one ('terra nullius'). This marked the beginning of a protracted and undeclared war against Australia's Indigenous inhabitants, resulting in a drastic decline in the Aboriginal population.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First documented European landing in Australia | 1606, by the Dutch East India Company ship captained by Willem Janszoon |
| First European expedition to reach Van Diemen's Land | Abel Tasman's voyage of 1642 |
| First European to claim sovereignty over the west coast of Australia | Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn (French) |
| First European to map the east coast of Australia | James Cook in 1770, naming it New South Wales and claiming it for Great Britain |
| Country that began colonisation of Australia | Britain, in 1788, with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales |
| European explorers who mapped Uluru and Kata Tjuta | Ernest Giles and William Gosse in 1872 |
| European country that explored most of Australia's coastline in the 17th century | The Dutch |
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What You'll Learn
- Dutch exploration and mapping of Australia's coast in the 17th century
- Abel Tasman's voyage in 1642 was the first European expedition to Van Diemen's Land
- The British claimed Australia in 1770, establishing a penal colony in 1788
- French sovereignty over the west coast of Australia was claimed in the late 18th century
- By the mid-19th century, most of Australia was explored by European settlers
Dutch exploration and mapping of Australia's coast in the 17th century
The Dutch were the first Europeans to explore and map Australia's coast in the 17th century. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was set up in 1602 and traded extensively with the islands that now form parts of Indonesia, bringing them very close to Australia.
The first documented European sighting of and landing on Australia was in late February 1606, by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, who captained the VOC ship Duyfken. Janszoon charted the Australian coast and met with Aboriginal people. He followed the coast of New Guinea, missed the Torres Strait, and explored and charted part of the western side of Cape York, believing the land was still part of New Guinea. On 26 February 1606, Janszoon and his crew made landfall near the modern town of Weipa and the Pennefather River but were attacked by the Indigenous people.
Janszoon's mapping was the first of many Dutch voyages that would chart almost two-thirds of the Australian coastline in the 17th century. The VOC's connection with the Australian continent began on 26 February 1606, when Willem Janszoon made landfall at the Pennefather River, on the west coast of the Cape York peninsula (northern Queensland). Janszoon was instructed by the VOC to explore the New Guinea coast in search of trading opportunities and gold.
In 1611, Dutch explorer Hendrik Brouwer devised a shorter route from Europe to Southeast Asia, which also avoided Portuguese-controlled Malacca in Malaysia and Ternate in Indonesia. The Brouwer Route, as it became known, likely led to the discovery of western Australia by the Dutch in 1616. In 1627, the south coast of Australia was accidentally encountered by François Thijssen and named 't Land van Pieter Nuyts, after the highest-ranking passenger, Pieter Nuyts, an extraordinary Councillor of India. In 1628, a squadron of Dutch ships was sent by the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Pieter de Carpentier, to explore the northern coast. These ships made extensive examinations, particularly in the Gulf of Carpentaria, named in honour of de Carpentier.
In 1644, Abel Tasman contributed significantly to the mapping of Australia, making observations on the land and people of the north coast below New Guinea. A map of the world inlaid into the floor of the Burgerzaal of the new Amsterdam Stadhuis in 1648 revealed the extent of Dutch charts of much of Australia's coast. Tasman's discoveries also appeared on the Archipelagus Orientalis sive Asiaticus published in the Kurfürsten Atlas.
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Abel Tasman's voyage in 1642 was the first European expedition to Van Diemen's Land
Abel Tasman, a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, was born in 1602 or 1603 in Lutjegast, Netherlands. He began his career as a merchant seaman and became a skilled navigator. In 1633, he joined the VOC (United East India Company) and sailed to Batavia, now Jakarta, Indonesia. He participated in several voyages, including one to Japan.
In 1642, Tasman was appointed by the VOC to lead an expedition to explore the uncharted regions of the Southern Pacific Ocean. His mission was to discover new trade routes and establish trade relations with the native inhabitants. On 14 August 1642, Tasman sailed from Batavia and arrived at Mauritius on 5 September. On 24 November 1642, he sighted and reached the west coast of Tasmania, north of Macquarie Harbour. He named his discovery Van Diemen's Land after his patron, Anthony van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.
Proceeding south, Tasman rounded the southern end of Tasmania and turned north-east. He then tried to sail his two ships into Adventure Bay on the east coast of South Bruny Island but was blown out to sea by a storm. This area he named Storm Bay. Two days later, on 1 December, Tasman anchored north of Cape Frederick Hendrick, just north of the Forestier Peninsula. On 2 December, two ship's boats under the command of the Pilot, Major Visscher, rowed into Blackman Bay, where they gathered some edible plants. Tasman named the bay Frederick Hendrik Bay.
The next day, an attempt was made to land in North Bay, but the sea was too rough. However, a ship's carpenter swam through the surf and planted the Dutch flag, and Tasman claimed formal possession of the land on 3 December 1642. For two more days, he continued to follow the east coast northward. When the land veered to the northwest at Eddystone Point, he tried to follow the coastline, but his ships were suddenly hit by strong winds. Tasman was searching for a continent, not more islands, so he abruptly turned away to the east.
Tasman's voyage of 1642 was the first known European expedition to reach Van Diemen's Land, now known as Tasmania. On his second voyage in 1644, he mapped the north coast of Australia south of New Guinea. Following Tasman's voyages, the Dutch were able to make almost complete maps of Australia's northern, western, southern, and southeastern coasts. They named the continent New Holland.
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The British claimed Australia in 1770, establishing a penal colony in 1788
The British claim on Australia dates back to 1770 when Captain James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast. He named the region New South Wales and claimed it for Great Britain. This marked the beginning of British colonial interests in Australia, which would lead to the establishment of a penal colony in 1788.
The decision to establish a penal colony in Australia was influenced by several factors. Firstly, the loss of its American colonies in 1783 left Britain seeking alternative destinations for transportation. The newly discovered and mapped east coast of New Holland, later known as Australia, presented a suitable option. James Cook's expedition to the region in 1770 provided valuable details that influenced the choice. Additionally, the belief that the land was not cultivated and the inhabitants lacked civilization, according to English authorities, further justified their claim over the territory.
In 1786, the British government announced its intention to establish a penal colony in New South Wales. On May 13, 1787, a fleet known as the First Fleet, comprising eleven ships and carrying 775 convicts, officials, crew members, marines, and their families, set sail from Portsmouth. The fleet arrived at Botany Bay, New South Wales, over a three-day period from January 18 to 20, 1788. However, the bay was deemed unsuitable due to its openness and damp soil, prompting the search for a more favorable location.
A small expedition led by Governor Phillip sailed to Port Jackson, a bay mentioned by Captain Cook, on January 22, 1788. They discovered a natural harbor with excellent conditions for anchorage and water supply, making it an ideal site for the colony. The British established the first permanent European colony on the Australian continent within New South Wales on January 26, 1788, now commemorated as Australia Day. The colony experienced initial challenges, including high mortality rates due to starvation and shortages of skilled farmers and livestock.
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French sovereignty over the west coast of Australia was claimed in the late 18th century
French sovereignty over the west coast of Australia, then known as "'New Holland', was claimed in 1772 by Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn, a French Navy officer and explorer. St Aloüarn made the first formal European claim of sovereignty over the west coast of Australia on behalf of France.
The French claim was made at Baie de Prise de Possession (meaning 'Bay of Taking Possession'), later renamed Turtle Bay, on Dirk Hartog Island on 30 March 1772. An officer named Jean Mengaud de la Hage made the claim on behalf of King Louis XV while St Aloüarn remained aboard the ship. Members of Mengaud's team raised the royal flag on the island and buried a bottle containing a document stating what had occurred, alongside two silver écu coins, worth six Livres tournois (Francs).
The French claim over Western Australia was never secured by a permanent settlement. Instead, in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip established a British colony on the east coast of Australia, at Sydney. However, other French expeditions followed St Aloüarn to Western Australia. In 1792, Antoine Bruni d'Entrecasteaux named the St Alouarn Islands, southeast of Cape Leeuwin, after St Aloüarn.
By 1826, following an expedition to the south coast of Western Australia by Jules Dumont d'Urville, British authorities were seeking to forestall French settlement in Australia. A British Army force, under Major Edmund Lockyer, was dispatched from Sydney, establishing a permanent British settlement at King George Sound, named Frederick Town (or Frederickstown), later known as Albany.
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By the mid-19th century, most of Australia was explored by European settlers
The history of Australia is steeped in the context of European exploration and colonisation. The Dutch East India Company ship Duyfken, captained by Willem Janszoon, made the first documented European landing in Australia in 1606. Later, in 1642, Abel Tasman's voyage was the first known European expedition to reach Van Diemen's Land (now known as Tasmania). Tasman's second voyage in 1644 mapped the north coast of Australia, south of New Guinea. These expeditions allowed the Dutch to make detailed maps of Australia's northern, western, southern, and southeastern coasts, naming the continent New Holland.
In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, naming it New South Wales and claiming it for Great Britain. The British government's intention to establish a penal colony in New South Wales was announced in 1786, and the First Fleet of British ships arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788. This marked the beginning of British colonisation, and over the following century, the British established other colonies on the continent, with European explorers venturing inland.
By the mid-19th century, most of the Australian continent had been explored by European settlers. During this time, autonomous parliamentary democracies began to emerge in the British colonies, and the transportation of British convicts to Australia was phased out. The exploration of the interior continued, often with the sponsorship of colonial authorities or private investors. In 1862, John McDouall Stuart traversed Central Australia from south to north, mapping out the route for the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. The completion of this telegraph line in 1872 facilitated further exploration of the Gibson Desert and the Nullarbor Plain.
Despite the extensive exploration by the mid-19th century, some areas of the inland remained unknown to Europeans. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, for example, were first mapped by Europeans in 1872 by Ernest Giles and William Gosse during expeditions made possible by the Overland Telegraph Line. These expeditions were marked by encounters with Aboriginal Australians, whose populations and cultures were disrupted by introduced diseases, violent conflict, and the dispossession of their traditional lands.
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Frequently asked questions
The Dutch were the first Europeans to explore Australia, with Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon landing in Cape York Peninsula in February 1606.
The British controlled Australia as a colony of settlement from 1788, with the first colony established as a penal colony in New South Wales.
Australia became a self-governing Dominion in the British Empire in 1901. However, the UK maintained control over its foreign relations. Australia gradually gained control over its external policy, with the Balfour Declaration of 1926 recognising the UK and its Dominions as "autonomous Communities within the British Empire". In 1931, the UK approved the Statute of Westminster, which codified this relationship, but it did not come into effect until formally adopted by Australia.
