300 YEARS AGO When Tasman Discovered New Zealand

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 260, 1 August 1942, Page 3

300 YEARS AGO When Tasman Discovered New Zealand

This year is Die tercentenary of the discovery of New Zealand by the first European navigator, Abel Janszoou lasnian. Between 1G39 and 1612 Tasman, a courageous Dutch shipmaster with a flair for exploration, had sailed the Indian and lhe South China Seas, cpeniiig up much new trading territory io Europeans. In, 1642 the Governor cf tlie Dutch East Indies, then resident at Batavia, encouraged Tasman's desire for an expedition to tlie then, unknown southern ocean. He wa.s given two ships, the Heemskerk and Zeehaen, which hoisted sail and made for the great south-wesc, to call at .Mauritius. After being there nearly a month the expedition sailed south and then east, till Tusmau came upon tlie isiand country now named after him, Tasmania, which lie christened Van Diemen's Land, after the great Van Diemen. There he hoisted the Dutch Bag. As he considereG that there was nothing to detain him. Tasman sailed north-east bound for tlie Solomon Islands. On December .13, 1642. he saw ahead the line of a high, mountainous country, lhe Southern Alps of New Zealand. -He called lhe place Staten Island and ihen went on round Cape Earewell to anchor in Massacre Bay, so named because several members of one of his boat's crews were killed there by Maoris,

Tlds experientt made him wary of giving shore leave Io any of his men, .■Hid lie took mine himself. After coasting along the rugged line of tlie Marlborough Sounds (without, discovering that Cook Strait separated two large islands), ho returned west, and then

failed up the west const of 'he North Island, reaching the northern extremity on January 1, 1643. Thence lie bore ."way N.N.I’l. to discover the Tongan Group. He never returned to New Zealand. Tasman arrived back in Batavia after a 1.0 monlbs’ voyage. Authorities say Hint Tasman, who »•< hieved such remarkable results, for which he was never given full credit, by the Dutch Government, probably died before October 22, 1659.