This composite chart of the Dutch discoveries of the Australian coastline is generally referred to as Tasman's chart. It draws together maps from the resources of the Dutch East India Company of all the discoveries by Dutch explorers, including the two voyages of Abel Tasman. In his voyage of 1642 he discovered the southern portion of Tasmania, the west coast of New Zealand, and Tonga, then returned to Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia) via the north coast of New Guinea. In 1644 he was again sent out by the governor of the Dutch East Indies to explore for a possible route through to the Pacific Ocean below New Guinea. He was thwarted by the shoals of Torres Strait, and instead coasted the northern shores of Australia, consolidating the prior Dutch discoveries along this part of Australia.

Tasman's 1644 voyage was the first by any explorer to navigate any continuous length of the north Australian coastline. He is believed to have sailed from Cape York (Queensland) to near Carnarvon (Western Australia). Regrettably his journals are lost and there is only the evidence of this map, but no record of any landings or observations. The Dutch East India Company was unimpressed by his findings; it seemed there was nothing profitable to be found along this coast, no valuable products, only "wretched savages" who produced nothing of worth to the Dutch.

Tasman is more highly regarded by Australians however, with his name applied to a state, a sea, and numerous bays, basins, seamounts and peninsulas. Limmen Bight in the south-west corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria is named for one of his ships.

Cape Arnhem, from which Arnhem Land derives its name, was named for one of the ships of an earlier expedition of 1623, led by Jan Carstensz.

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

Buy a high resolution copy.