There are many Australian places which have Dutch names dating from the 17th century due to the Dutch voyages of exploration along the western, northern and southern Australian coasts. Other places were named after the early Dutch explorers by later British explorers or colonists, for instance the Australian state of Tasmania is named after Abel Tasman. Australia itself was called New Holland by the Dutch.
Contents |
Places named by the Dutch
Queensland
The Dutch charted the western side of Cape York Peninsula and the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Willem Janszoon made the first recorded European landfall in Australia during the Janszoon voyage of 1606.
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpentaria | Carpentaria | Pieter de Carpentier | 14°S 140°E / 14°S 140°E | was the Dutch name for what is now Cape York Peninsula, now used as the gulf name only. | |
| Van Speult Rivier | Dutch local governor, Herman van Speult | 10°55′S 142°12′E / 10.917°S 142.2°E | Now known as Jardine River | ||
| Batavia Rivier | Batavia River | Batavia | 12°03′S 141°55′E / 12.05°S 141.917°E | Now known as Wenlock River | |
| Coen Rivier | Coen River | 13°37′S 142°09′E / 13.617°S 142.15°E | flows into Archer River | ||
| Vereenigde Rivier | Vereenigde is the "V" in VOC (Dutch East India Company) | ||||
| Nassau Rivier | Nassau River | 15°54′S 141°23′E / 15.9°S 141.383°E | |||
| Staaten Rivier | Staaten River | 16°24′S 141°18′E / 16.4°S 141.3°E | |||
| Van Diemens Baai | Van Diemen Inlet | Anthony van Diemen | 16°58′S 140°58′E / 16.967°S 140.967°E | ||
| Kaap Van Diemen | Cape Van Diemen | Anthony van Diemen | 16°31′S 139°42′E / 16.517°S 139.7°E | eastern cape of Mornington Island in the Wellesley Islands |
Northern Territory
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaap Van der Lin | Cape Vanderlin | 15°35′S 136°59′E / 15.583°S 136.983°E | Actually the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, the cape name is used for the northern tip of Vanderlin Island | ||
| C. Maria | 14°52′S 135°44′E / 14.867°S 135.733°E | An island, not a cape, now called Maria Island | |||
| Groote Eylandt | "Big island" | sighted 1623, named 1644 | 14°00′S 136°35′E / 14°S 136.583°E | ||
| Arnhems Landt | Arnhem Land | The ship Arnhem which explored the area, which was named after the city of Arnhem | 13°S 136°E / 13°S 136°E | ||
| Krokodillen Eÿlandt | Crocodile Islands | crocodiles | 11°53′S 135°05′E / 11.883°S 135.083°E | ||
| Van Diemen Baai | Van Diemen Gulf | Anthony van Diemen | 12°S 132°E / 12°S 132°E |
Western Australia
South Australia
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landt van P. Nuyts | Nuytsland | 16 January 1627 | Pieter Nuyts | 32°S 132°E / 32°S 132°E | Nuytsland was the name used for the whole southern coast of Australia along the Great Australian Bight |
| I st. Francois | St. Francis Island | 1627 | St. Francis | 32°31′S 133°17′E / 32.517°S 133.283°E | |
| I st. Pierre | St. Peter Island | 1627 | St. Peter | 32°17′S 133°34′E / 32.283°S 133.567°E |
Tasmania
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terre de Diemens | Van Diemen's Land | 24 November 1642 | Anthony van Diemen | 43°35′S 146°21′E / 43.583°S 146.35°E | Now known as Tasmania, after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman |
| Wits Eylanden | De Witt Island | 1642 | Johan de Witt | 43°35′S 146°21′E / 43.583°S 146.35°E | |
| Sueers eylan | Sweers island | 1642 | named after Salomon Sweers, member of the Council of India | ||
| eylan den Maet | Maatsuyker Island | 1 December 1642 | named after Joan Maetsuicker, member of the Council of India | 43°39′18″S 146°16′23″E / 43.655°S 146.27306°E | |
| Pedra branca | 1642 | "towards noon we passed two rocks of which the westernmost was like Pedra Branca off the coast of China" | 43°51′S 146°58′E / 43.85°S 146.967°E | Name is Portuguese in origin, although named by the Dutch Tasman | |
| Boreels-eiland | Boreel Head | November 29, 1642 | Pieter Boreel, member of the Council of India | 43°14′S 148°00′E / 43.233°S 148°E | Islands now called The Friars, Boreel Head is now the nearby cape on the south of Bruny Island |
| Storm Bay | Storm Bay | 1642 | "[Tasman] had almost reached his intended anchorage when a heavy storm arose and he was driven out so far to sea that next morning he could hardly discern the land. It was from this incident that Storm Bay got its name." [1] | 43°10′S 147°33′E / 43.167°S 147.55°E | |
| Tasmans Eyl | Tasman Island | 1642 | 43°14′S 148°00′E / 43.233°S 148°E | ||
| Fredericks Hondricks Bay | Frederick Hendrick Bay | 1642 | 42°51′S 147°58′E / 42.85°S 147.967°E | nearby NE cape on Forestier Peninsula still has the name Cape Frederick Hendrick, not near Frederick Henry Bay which is on the other side of the Tasman Peninsula which he never visited. The bay he called Frederick Henry Bay is now Marion Bay [2] | |
| Marias Eylandt | Maria Island | December 4, 1642 | Maria Van Aelst, wife of Anthony Van Diemen | 42°37′S 148°05′E / 42.617°S 148.083°E | |
| Schoute Eylandt | Schouten Island | December 4, 1642 | Justus Schouten, member of the Council of India. | 42°18′S 148°16′E / 42.3°S 148.267°E | |
| Vanderlins Eyl | Vanderlins Island | 1642 | Cornelis Van der Lijn, member of the Council of India | 42°13′S 148°18′E / 42.217°S 148.3°E | not an island, actually Freycinet Peninsula. [3] When Tasman passed it he was heading east; did not see the connection to the mainland in the north. |
Places named after the Dutch
Other places were given Dutch names by later explorers or colonists in honour of the Dutch. These include:
- Duyfken Point - 12°34′S 141°35′E / 12.567°S 141.583°E near Weipa where Willem Janszoon first sighted the Australian coast in 1606.
- Tasmania - Australian state, along with 31 other places with the name of Tasman in Tasmania
- Zeehan, Tasmania - 41°53′S 145°20′E / 41.883°S 145.333°E town and nearby Mount Zeehan, named by George Bass and Matthew Flinders after Abel Tasman's ship Zeehaen. It is near where Tasman first sighted Tasmania.
References
- Project Gutenberg, Abel Tasman's Journal
- Dutch settlers in South Australia
- Project Gutenberg, The Discovery of Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land.), New Zealand, and Bass' Straits.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
