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Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders have been living in the Australian continent for thousands of years. In the 1500s, Europeans knew of the existence of New Guinea and the island of Timor, but the first believed to have found the Australian continent was Portuguese explorer Christovao de Mendonca. Mendonca never returned to Portugal, but wreckage believed to have been from his ships was found along the Australian coastline. Other sources suggest the first to sight Australia was actually Gomes de Sequeira, also of Portugal, in 1525. His descriptions of the islands he noted when he was blown off course are believed to be islands off the Northern Territory. There is, however, no real proof of this. Several more Portuguese explorers followed, including Louis de Torres, after whom Torres strait is named. The first to chart any part of the Australian continent was explorer Willem Jansz, in 1616. Willem Jansz/Janszoon was a Dutchman who was seeking new trade routes and trade associates. He became the first recorded European to step foot on Australia's shores on the western shore of Cape York Peninsula, on 26 February 1606. However, he believed the Cape to be part of New Guinea, from whence he crossed the Arafura Sea.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoThe first known white man to sight the west coast of Australia was Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog.
In 1616, Hartog accidentally landed on the coast after he sailed too far whilst trying out Henderik Brouwer's recently discovered route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia, via the Roaring Forties. He landed at Cape Inscription in Shark Bay on 25 October 1616. His is the first known record of a European visiting Western Australia's shores, but he was not the first European to step foot on Australian soil.
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Where were the first crocodiles sighted?
Australia
When did James Cook first sight Australia?
James Cook first sighted the eastern coast of Australia in April 1770.
When Abel Tasman first sighted nz in 1642 he thought it was connected to which country?
australia
What was the ship called that was captained by James Cook when Australia was sighted?
James Cook commanded the HMS Bark Endeavour when he first sighted the east Australian coast.
Which was the first part of Australia to be sighted by Cook?
The first part of Australia to be sighted by James Cook was the southeastern corner of the continent.On 19 April 1770, officer of the watch, Lieutenant Zachary Hicks, sighted land and alerted Captain Cook. Cook made out low sandhills which he named Point Hicks, although he did not yet know whether they formed part of an island or a continent.
Where in Australia have yowies been sighted?
Yowies have been sighted in many places in Australia. Places such as the Blue Mountains - New South Wales AND Kilcoy - Queensland. =)
When was Niagara Falls first sighted?
It was first Sighted in 1678 by a French explore.
What ship discovered australia?
The ship that discovered Australia was called the Duyfken and came from Holland. This Dutch vessel sighted Australia's coast in 1606.
Where was the armada sighted?
The Spanish Armada was first sighted by the English off the coast of Cornwall.
Where was the first place that Captain Cook sailed to in Australia?
The irst point which James Cook sighted on the Australian mainland was Point Hicks, near the Victoria-New South Wales border on Australia's southeastern coast. The first point where he landed was in Botany Bay.
Where was the first human sighted?
at mcdonalds
When were the banshees first sighted?
in 2006
