The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765 by J. E. Heeres

(1 User reviews)   4693
By Robert Nguyen Posted on Dec 11, 2025
In Category - Travel Writing
Heeres, J. E. (Jan Ernst), 1858-1932 Heeres, J. E. (Jan Ernst), 1858-1932
English
Ever wonder who really found Australia? We all know about Captain Cook, but what about the 160 years before he showed up? This book tells the wild, forgotten story of Dutch sailors who mapped the 'Great South Land' first. They faced shipwrecks, hostile shores, and a company back home that just wasn't that interested. It's a history that feels like a mystery—how did these incredible discoveries just fade from memory? If you love stories of real adventure that got left out of the textbook, this one's for you.
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THE PART BORNE BY THE DUTCH IN THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 1606-1765. BY J. E. HEERES, LL. D. PROFESSOR AT THE DUTCH COLONIAL INSTITUTE DELFT * * * PUBLISHED BY THE ROYAL DUTCH GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY IN COMMEMORATION OF THE XXVth ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDATION LONDON LUZAC & CO, 46 GREAT RUSSELL STREET W. C. 1899 * * * CONTENTS. List of books, discussed or referred to in the work List of Maps and Figures Introduction DOCUMENTS: I. Dutch notions respecting the Southland in 1595 II. Notices of the south-coast of New Guinea in 1602 III. Voyage of the ship Duifken under command of Willem Jansz(oon) and Jan Lodewijkszoon Rosingeyn to New Guinea.--Discovery of the east-coast of the present Gulf of Carpentaria (1605-1606) IV. Fresh expedition to New Guinea by the ship Duifken (1607) V. Voyage of the ships Eendracht and Hoorn, commanded by Jacques Le Maire and Willem Corneliszoon Schouten through the Pacific Ocean and along the north-coast of New Guinea (1616) VI. Project for the further discovery of the Southland--Nova Guinea (1616) VII. Voyage of de Eendracht under command of Dirk Hartogs(zoon). Discovery of the West-coast of Australia in 1616: Dirk Hartogs-island and -road, Land of the Eendracht or Eendrachtsland (1616) VIII. Voyage of the ship Zeewolf, from the Netherlands to India, under the command of supercargo Pieter Dirkszoon and skipper Haevik Claeszoon van Hillegom.--Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia (1618) IX. Voyage of the ship Mauritius from the Netherlands to India under the command of supercargo Willem Jansz. or Janszoon and skipper Lenaert Jacobsz(oon). Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia.--Willems-rivier (1618) X. Further discovery of the South-coast of New-Guinea by the ship Het Wapen van Amsterdam? (1619?) XI. Voyage of the ships Dordrecht and Amsterdam under commander Frederik De Houtman, supercargo Jacob Dedel, and skipper Reyer Janszoon van Buiksloot and Maarten Corneliszoon(?) from the Netherlands to the East-Indies.--Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia: Dedelsland and Houtman's Abrolhos (1619) XII. Voyage of the ship Leeuwin from the Netherlands to Java.--Discovery of the South-West coast of Australia.--Leeuwin's land (1622) XIII. The Triall. (English discovery)--The ship Wapen van Hoorn touches at the West-coast of Australia.--New projects for discovery made by the supreme government at Batavia (1622) XIV. Voyage of the ships Pera and Arnhem, under command of Jan Carstenszoon or Carstensz., Dirk Meliszoon and Willem Joosten van Colster or Van Coolsteerdt.--Further discovery of the South-West coast of New Guinea. Discovery of the Gulf of Carpentaria (1623) XV. Voyage of the ship Leiden, commanded by skipper Klaas Hermansz(oon) from the Netherlands to Java.--Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia (1623) XVI. Discovery of the Tortelduif island (rock) (1624?) XVII. Voyage of the ship Leijden, commanded by skipper Daniel Janssen Cock, from the Netherlands to Java. Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia (1626) XVIII. Discovery of the South-West coast of Australia by the ship Het Gulden Zeepaard, commanded by Pieter Nuijts, member of the Council of India, and by skipper Francois Thijssen or Thijszoon (1627) XIX. Voyage of the ships Galias, Utrecht and Texel, commanded by Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen.--Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia (1627) XX. Voyage of the ship Het Wapen van Hoorn, commanded by supercargo J. Van Roosenbergh.--Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia (1627) XXI. Discovery of the North-West coast of Australia by the ship Vianen (Viane, Viana), commanded by Gerrit Frederikszoon De Witt.--De Witt's land (1628) XXII. Discovery of Jacob Remessens-, Remens-, or Rommer-river, south of Willems-river (before 1629) XXIII. Shipwreck of the ship Batavia under commander Francois Pelsaert on Houtmans Abrolhos. Further discovery of the West-coast of Australia (1629) XXIV. Further surveyings...

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The Story

This isn't a novel with a single plot. It's the true, sprawling account of Dutch East India Company ships bumping into the west and north coasts of Australia between 1606 and 1765. The book follows explorers like Willem Janszoon, who made first contact (a disastrous one), and Abel Tasman, who proved it was a giant island continent. They weren't looking for a new home; they were trying to find trade routes and riches. What they found instead was a harsh, dry coastline that offered little profit, leading their bosses in Amsterdam to basically file it under 'Avoid.'

Why You Should Read It

Heeres pulls together old ship logs, maps, and company reports to rebuild this lost chapter. The real drama isn't in epic battles, but in the sheer human struggle. You read about sailors surviving for months after a wreck, or captains meticulously drawing coastlines no European had ever seen, only to have their work gather dust. It makes you rethink the whole idea of 'discovery.' What good is finding a place if no one back home cares?

Final Verdict

Perfect for history buffs who enjoy deep dives into primary sources, or anyone with a soft spot for underdog explorers. It's a niche but fascinating correction to the usual British-centric narrative. Fair warning: it's an old-school academic work, so it's dense with details and names. But if you stick with it, you get a profound sense of how accidental and messy the map of our world really is.



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Robert Young
1 year ago

Compatible with my e-reader, thanks.

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