feb 26, 1606 - European Discovery
of Australia
Description:
In the early 1600s the Dutch Republic were expanding their maritime business to investigate the lucrative spice trade that the Spanish and Portuguese seemed to be profiting from. After a number of significant expeditions to Indonesia, it was assessed that entering the Indian Ocean trade would prove to be very profitable and thus in 1602 the Dutch East India Company was established.
Over the next couple of years the Dutch began to explore the various Indonesian islands looking for business opportunities. This eventually led to a voyage captained by Willem Janszoon who had been commissioned to visit the coasts of Western New Guinea. The voyage began in the November of 1605 and over a period of around three months made it's way through the Banda Sea and along the coasts of New Guinea. It was then in late February or early March 1606, that they eventually veered off from the coast and headed south where they made landfall on the Cape York Peninsular of modern-day Queensland, thus becoming the first Europeans on record to set foot in Australia.
Added to timeline:
History of Human Civilization
This is a rough history of human migration, advancement, and...
Date:
Images:
![]()
Geo:
