120 likes | 321 Views
Australia is Discovered. Origin and History of the Name. Australia comes from the Latin word Australis , which means “of the south ” or “southern.”. Origin and history of the name.
E N D
Origin and History of the Name • Australia comes from the Latin word Australis, which means “of the south” or “southern.”
Origin and history of the name • Legends of an “unknown land of the south” (terra australias incognita) were common as far back as Roman times.
Origin and history of the name • References to Australia were common in medieval geography. • There was no evidence at the time of Australia. • The Dutch East India official called the newly discovered land (1638) Australische. • The first use of the word “Australia” in English was in 1693.
European Exploration • Many Europeans claimed to be the first to discover Australia. • French navigator BinotPaulimer de Gonneville in 1504 (actually landed in Brazil) • Spanish expedition commanded by Pedro Fernandez de Quiros and piloted by Luis vaez de Torres in 1605 (actually landed in New Hebrides, now known as Vanuatu) • Portuguese expedition led by Cristóvão de Mendonça in 1522 • None can be confirmed.
The Dutch • The first undisputed European sighting occurred in 1606 by the Dutch. • The Dutch vessel Duyfken, captained by Willem Janszoon, explored the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. • They Dutch made one landing, were promptly attacked by the Aborigines, and abandoned further exploration.
The Dutch • The Dutch charted all of the western and northern coastlines of “New Holland”. • On November 24, 1642 , Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania which he named Van Diemen’s Land. • Van Diemen was the head the Dutch East India Company, Tasman’s employer. • Tasman claimed Van Diemen’s Land for the Netherlands.
The British • The first Englishman to see Australia was William Dampier, a former pirate. • He made two voyages around Australia (in 1688 and 1699) before returning to England. • He was the first European to report Australia’s unusual, large, hopping animals
The British • In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia. He named it New South Wales and claimed it for Britain. It became a prison colony.