As far back as ancient times, people believed that there must be a southern continent – a counterpart to the land masses they knew of in the northern hemisphere. The idea was that the two continents kept the globe in balance. Wild fantasies held sway: for example, the southern region was supposed to be fabulously wealthy. The ancients called it ‘Terra Australis Incognita’ or Unknown South Land.

 

By 1525, many seafarers, too, were convinced that a vast continent – Terra Australis Incognita – must exist beyond the southernmost tip of Africa. Although Abel Tasman’s first voyage in 1642 revealed that the South Land was not part of the southern continent we now know as Antarctica, and although ‘Hollandia Nova’ or New Holland appeared on contemporary maps, the name Australia was now firmly associated with it.

 

The Dutch arrived in south-east Asia towards the end of the 16th century. Their mercantile spirit led them to settle in the East Indies. Trade with the region was well organised, in the hands of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which was founded in 1602 with full government backing.

 

In March 1606, Captain Willem Jansz. of the Duyfken was the first European to set eyes on Australia. He was followed by several seafarers in the service of the VOC. And to this very day wrecks and names on the map recall Dutch exploration in the region. The years between 1617 and 1644 were the heyday of Dutch exploration of the west, north and south coasts of Australia. The last major VOC expedition took place in 1696-1697.