The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765

This volume weaves together a series of contemporary reports, charts and journal excerpts that trace the Dutch Republic’s early encounters with the lands of the southern hemisphere. Beginning with speculative maps of the “Southland” in the late‑1590s, it follows a succession of daring expeditions—such as the voyages of the Duifken, the Eendracht and the Hartog’s ship—that charted coastlines from the western shores of what would become Australia to the distant reaches of New Guinea. The narrative highlights how each captain’s observations, from the sight of a lonely island to the discovery of a new river, gradually turned myth into measurable geography.

Interlaced with vivid illustrations and a poignant account of the Batavia shipwreck, the work also surveys the ambitious plans set by Batavia’s council to push further into unknown waters. Readers hear the voices of supercargos, skippers and cartographers as they contend with uncharted reefs, unfamiliar peoples and the relentless drive to claim new trade routes, offering a richly textured portrait of early Dutch maritime ambition.