On 25 October 1616 Dirk Hartog became the first European to set foot on the shores of Western Australia, and only the second to record encountering the Australian continent. Landing on a rugged offshore island (now known as Dirk Hartog Island), he left a pewter plate describing his ship’s arrival and voyage.
How long did Dirk Hartogs journey take?
This new sailing route took advantage of the powerful winds known as the Roaring Forties that occurs along the latitudes between 40o and 50o. The winds were so powerful that it reduced the voyage between South Africa to Java from 12 months to 6 months.
Why did Dirk Hartog discover Australia?
Traveling around the Cape of Good Hope to Java, Hartog sought to take advantage of the “roaring forties,” a region between latitudes 40° and 50° south where strong westerly winds prevailed. Hartog landed (October 1616) and spent three days exploring a desolate offshore island that came to bear his name.
How did Dirk Hartog’s journey impact Australia?
Charting the west coast of Australia Hartog’s discovery had a major impact on world cartography. After leaving the Island, he sailed northwards charting the coastline of Western Australia to 22 degrees south.
Who discovered west coast of Australia?
The Portuguese probably sighted the Western Australian coast during the 1520s, but authenticated European discovery followed the move of the Dutch East India Company into the Indian Ocean in the early 17th century.
What does the Dirk Hartog plate say?
The flattened engraved plate was left by the Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog in 1616 in the Dutch East India company ship Eendracht, meaning unity or concord, which had arrived there en route to Java.
What was Dirk Hartog’s occupation?
Explorer
Sailor
Dirk Hartog/Professions
How did Dirk Hartog find Shark Bay?
Evidence of first European sightings. In 1616, Dutch skipper, Dirk Hartog, along with upper-merchant Gillis Miebais, in the ship Eendracht, accidentally discovered what proved to be the west coast of the Unknown South Land while sailing northwards.
How did Perth get its name?
Stirling soon realised that the soil on the coast was not suited to agriculture. He decided to establish two towns in the new settlement: a commercial port at Fremantle and a capital – which he named Perth after the Scottish city – about 19 kilometres up the Swan River.
What country did Dirk Hartog explore?
Dirk Hartog was a Dutch explorer who made the first recorded exploration of the west coast of Australia. Hartog explored Australia in the early 1600s and then continued on to Indonesia. Hartog, also possibly known as Dyrck Hartoochz, sailed his ship, Eendracht, for a spice trade run in 1616.
What happened to Dirk Hartog’s plate?
Indeed, in 1696 another Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh, landed on Dirk Hartog Island, found Hartog’s plate, replaced it with a newly inscribed dish, and sent the original to Amsterdam, where it can now be seen in the Rijksmuseum. Hartog continued northward, charting the coast as far as North West Cape before resuming his journey…
Where is the island named after Dirk Hartog?
Postscript. The island in Shark Bay, Western Australia, where he made landfall was named Dirk Hartog Island. In Amsterdam, Canberra and fourteen other Australian towns, streets have been named in his honour.
How long did Hartog stay on the island?
Hartog stayed on the island and explored the west coast of Australia for three days, according to the website Australian History. Hartog was the second explorer to discover Australia, but he was the first explorer to leave a record of his visit. To mark his landing, Hartog left a pewter plate, inscribed with the details of his visit.
