In March 1606 Willem Janszoon (a.k.a. Willem Jansz--refer to this ^note for an explanation of correct usage regarding Dutch surnames) and Jan Lodewijkszoon van Rosingeyn, on board the Duyfken, charted about 300 km of the west coast of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. It was the first authenticated landing on Australian soil. An article in the September 2005 Newsletter of Australian National Placenames Survey states that "The Pennefather River--located at 12º 14’ South and 141º 43’ East on western Cape York Peninsula, Queensland--is one of the most significant historical sites in Australia. It is the place where, in 1606, the Indigenous people of the Australian continent probably first sighted Europeans when the Dutch jacht (or yacht) Duyfken, commanded by Willem Janszoon, made landfall after a voyage from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). The river is 11 kilometres long and up to about 2 kilometres wide. Its headwaters are fed by Fish Creek in the north and Bumungu Creek in the south. The current north side land tenure is Deed of Grant in Trust managed by Aboriginal trustees appointed by the Queensland Government and assisted by the Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council. The south side land tenure is Deed of Grant in Trust managed by the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council." More information about the voyage of the Duyfken is given in the article.

In 2006 Australians celebrated the 400th anniversary of the event. Australia on the Map (AOTM) was a national not-for-profit grass roots organisation dedicated to helping and encouraging the people of Australia plan events for 2006. Their focus was particularly on the many Mariners who (whether by accident or design) charted our coasts, and put "Australia on the Map", thereby making it known to the world. Visit Australia on the Map for details.

Percival Serle in his Dictionary of Australian Biography has this to say about Janszoon and his contact with the coast of Australia: [Janszoon] "was born possibly about 1570, probably at Amsterdam, Holland [The Netherlands, to be correct. ed.]. Nothing is known of his early life, and he is first heard of in 1598 as a mate on the Hollandia, one of the vessels in the second Dutch fleet to voyage to the East Indies. He returned to Holland, and on 21 December 1599, having been promoted to the position of first mate, sailed again for the Indies. He made other voyages, but when he left Holland in December 1603 in command of the Duyfken, as part of a large fleet, the understanding was that this vessel was to remain in the east for three years, and endeavour to find new sources of trade. On 18 November 1605 Jansz[oon] left Bantam for Banda. From Banda an east-south-east course was taken to the Kei group, thence to Aru and the coast of New Guinea at De Jong's Point. Turning south the Gulf of Carpentaria was entered and the Australian coast was discovered at the mouth of the Pennefather River, on the Cape York peninsula, probably in March 1606. The course continued to latitude 13.59 when the Duyfken began her return journey. A visit was made to Prince of Wales Island, the New Guinea coast was again approached, and then a turn was made and Banda was reached in May 1606. For the first time some 200 miles of the Australian coastline had been charted, though Jansz[oon] was not aware it was not part of New Guinea."

There were many other contacts from that time until James Cook sailed up the east coast in 1770. These events are detailed in the Landing List set out below. An important "player" in the events set out in the Landing List was the United East-Indies Company, the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC). Peter Reynders has written an article about the VOC which details the reasons for its demise.

There are a number of maps which detail the early discovery of Australia and these are reproduced on the maps and charts page

July: Lenaert Jacobszoon (note) sailed the Mauritius past the North West Cape and nameed two waterways.On board was Supercargo Willem Janszoon, former Master of the Duyfken, who wrote to the VOC in Amsterdam about the 'discovery' of an island at the west coast during this yoyage. Willem Janszoon therefore arrived in Australian waters a second time (4th Jan '18).

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