DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA

Evening Star, Issue 21752, 21 June 1934, Page 6

DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA

PART PLAYED BY DUTCH DR E. N. MERRIMGTON’S ADDRESS An address on the part tho Dutch played in the discovery of Australia, delivered by Dr E. N. Herrington, proved of interest to members of the Otago branch of the New Zealand Historical Association last evening. Tho Chairman (Mr J. T. Paul) briefly introduced the speaker. In his opinion, said Dr Herrington, it was doubtful whether justice had been done to the great part played by the Dutch in the discovery of Australia and New Zealand. Naturally they honoured James Cook, whose work as a navigator possibly excelled that of Abel Janssen Tasman. in particular, tho circumnavigation of New Zealand and tlie discovery of the eastern coast of Australia redounded to the glory of the Englishman. It so happened that the territories visited by Cook proved to be more suitable for settlement than those upon which Tasman gazed from the deck of his ship. The unfortunate hostilities between England and Holland in the seventeenth century left their mark upon national feelings for generations. It was desirable that the work of the Dutcli should be better known and appreciated in the dominions, who owed so much to his discoveries, as evidenced by the Dutch names of New Zealand and Tasmania, and the earlier name of the great southern laud—viz., New Holland. Dr Herrington then reviewed briefly the conception of a great unknown southern land which had come' down from the time of the famous map of Claudius Ptolemy in the second century. A long unbroken stretch of coast extended from Africa to the eastern prolongation of Asia. This Terra Australis Incognita ruled men’s ideas of the southern seas until Cook finally sailed over the only remaining parts of the ocean, and disproved its existence. Massing over the reports of Marco Polo, lie spoke of the marvellous extension of the knowledge ,of the world, brought about by the great discoverers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, whereby the western and southern seas were opened up to adventurous voyagers. Tho lure of tho East Indies drew v exploration to that centre of trade, and, in the struggle with Spain, Holland, newly arisen to civil and religious liberty, proved her supremacy on the seas of the Far East. Dutch fleets swarmed out for trade with the Moluccas or Spice Islands, especially after fhe unification of companies of merchants into the celebrated Dutch East India Company in 1602. The rise of the company in Holland and Java was traced, and the establishment of Batavia under the Governor-General Coen secured the new Dutch Empire of the Indian Ocean; for the merchant ships were armed and fought with Spanish and Portuguese fleets of war with remarkable courage and success. Dutch ships had been accustomed to sail round the Cape as far north as Madagascar and then strike east for Java, the lecturer continued, but Brouwer discovered that they could shorten tho voyage by sailing due east from the Cape. That route was adopted in 1611, and the disqovery of Australia on the western side was inevitable sooner or later. In 1605 the Duyfhen left Banda and sailed southwards along the western side of Cape York Peninsula to Cape Keer-weer, .and,‘returned in 1606. The lecturer narrated the Dutch arrivals off the coast of Western Australia, beginning with Dirck Hartog’s ship Eendracht, and Houtman relating the tragic experiences of Captain Pelsart’s shipwrecked crew at tho Abrolhos, one of the most terrible tales of the sea, yet with some stirring. deeds of heroism. Coen and Van Diemen were the most far-seeing of the Dutch Governors of the East India Company, and supported in turn a scheme of wider exploration in the south seas. Accordingly Tasman and his pilot Visscher were sent on their great voyage in 1642, and sailed south of Australia, discovering Tasmania and the western coast of New Zealand. The contact with the Maoris in Murderers’ Bay and subsequent experiences on the return journey were described. They circumnavigated the great southern continent and discovered New Zealand, which was then believed to be the western shore of the real Terra Australia Incognita. Although they were rewarded on their return, the £)utch Council had hoped for more profitable results. Accordingly they were sent out again in 1644, and Tasman then added greatly to the knowledge of the north coast of Australia. After 1644 little was done in the way of exploration of Australia and nothing of New Zealand until Cooks epoch-making voyage in 1770. , One Dutch explorer, however, Vlammgh, accurately mapped tho coast of West Australia and discovered the Swan River. A party from the ship rowed six leagues up the river past the present site of Perth in 1696. Everywhere the Dutch reported barren and dangerous coasts and savage inhabitants. This had much to do with their subsequent neglect of these countries, and hence paved the way for British discoverers and settlement in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A vote of thanks to the speaker was moved by‘Mr O. J. Begg, tins being carried by acclamation.