Some Aussie History

Early Dutch Explorers

In 1606 Dutch explorers who were seeking mercantile expansion into Asia, sailed through the strait between Australia and New Guinea. This is now named Torres Strait after their captain. In the same year the large gulf situated on the northern coast, the Gulf of Carpentaria, was explored by William Janszoon in a Dutch ship named "Duyfken" which made the first know European landing on Australian soil at Cape York.

Shark Bay in Western Australia was explored by Dirck Hartog in 1616. Then in 1623 the west coast of Cape York was charted by Jan Carstensz, another Dutchman. In 1642 Abel Tasman visited the small island off the southeast coast of Australia, which he named Van Dieman's Land, which later became Tasmania. The Dutch explorers named this newly discovered land New Holland.

A buccanaeer named William Dampier, became the first Englishman to visit New Holland in 1688. He later returned in 1698 to explore further.

Captain James Cook

On 20th April 1770, Captain James Cook sighted the southeast coast of Australia. He charted the coastline and nine days later landed at Botany Bay, which is south of the present city of Sydney. Joseph Banks, who was Cook's botanist, named the place for the variety of botanic specimens he found.

Cook continued his survey for 1863 miles north until the Endeavour ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef. These repairs took two months. He then sailed north again, passing through Torres Strait and landing on an island off Cape York. There he raised the Union Jack and took possession of the eastern part of the continent for England.

Initially Cook's discoveries had little impact. However, after the American colonies won their War of Independence, an alternative penal colony was needed, for England could no longer transport its criminals to America.

In May 1787, Captain Arthur Philip, with a fleet of 11 ships in his command, sailed from England. There were 1030 people,including 736 convicts. The fleet arrived at Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. Finding it unsuitable for a settlement, eight days later it moved a few miles north to a magnificent harbour, Port Jackson. This small settlement became Sydney, named for Lord Sydney the Home Secretary, and Philip became the first Governor of the Colony of New South Wales. Philip took possession of the eastern part of the continent, including Tasmania, on 26th January 1788.

Today, 26th January is commemorated as Australia Day, a national holiday.

Hey!! You found it.....good on you kids.
Have a great treasure hunt.

This information is taken from the lovely book "A Natural History of Australia" by Tim M. Berra. I would recommend this book for further reading on Australia.

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