Macassan traders

Explore the long history of trade and cultural exchange between Aboriginal Peoples of northern Australia and Macassan sailors from Indonesia, centuries before British settlement.

Discover historical evidence through:

• Aboriginal rock art, bark paintings, nineteenth-century illustrations and newspaper accounts.

• Matthew Flinders' 1803 journal

• Research by Ronald and Catherine Berndt

• Resources from AIATSIS and the National Museum of Australia

Stage 2 learning focus:

Discover how Aboriginal Peoples in northern Australia traded with sailors from Indonesia long before the British arrived. Find out what goods they exchanged, how they worked together and what they learned from one another. Explore rock art, paintings, journals and historical records to uncover clues about these journeys and the connections between Australia and the wider world.

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First European footprints

Explore the earliest documented European voyages to Australia, beginning with Willem Janszoon's arrival in 1606 and continuing through the expeditions of Luís Vaez de Torres, Dirk Hartog, Jan Carstenszoon and Abel Tasman.

Discover historical evidence through:

• Explorers' journals

• Dutch archival records

• Maps and eyewitness accounts.

These sources reveal how European navigators charted Australia's coastlines, encountered Aboriginal Peoples and assessed the land through European commercial interests.

Stage 2 learning focus:

Find out why European explorers sailed to Australia, where they travelled and what they discovered. Follow their journeys using old maps and journals, learn what happened when they met Aboriginal Peoples, and explore how their experiences shaped the stories they told about Australia.

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William Dampier (1697)

Discover the voyages of William Dampier, the first recorded Englishman to land on the Australian mainland, and learn about his encounters with Aboriginal Peoples along the Western Australian coast.

Explore extracts from Dampier's journals to discover what he observed about Australia's land, animals and people. Investigate how Aboriginal Peoples responded to the visitors, why Dampier misunderstood aspects of their lives and how his opinions influenced what Europeans believed about Australia.

Stage 2 learning focus:

Discover why William Dampier sailed to Australia and what he recorded about the land, wildlife and Aboriginal Peoples. Explore his journals to find clues about how Aboriginal Peoples responded to the visitors, compare different perspectives and consider whether Dampier's descriptions tell the whole story.

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Captain James Cook (1770)​

Explore Captain James Cook's 1770 voyage aboard the Endeavour and investigate why the British travelled to the Pacific, how they navigated and charted Australia's eastern coastline, and what happened when they reached Kamay (Botany Bay).

Using Cook's journal and other historical accounts, examine the first encounters between the British and Aboriginal Peoples, including the resistance to the British landing.

Stage 2 learning focus:

Investigate the reasons for significant voyages, examine primary sources, compare Aboriginal and European perspectives, and explain how Cook's voyage contributed to Britain's later decision to establish a colony in New South Wales.

 

​The First Fleet — First Encounters at Botany Bay (1788)​

Explore what happened when the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788 and British newcomers met Aboriginal Peoples who had lived on and cared for Country for thousands of years.

Discover these early encounters through journals of:

• Governor Arthur Phillip

• Captain Watkin Tench

• Arthur Bowes Smyth

Learn how Aboriginal Peoples responded to the unexpected visitors, how both groups tried to communicate, and why the British accounts do not tell the whole story.

Stage 2 learning focus:

Imagine what it was like when the First Fleet arrived in 1788. Discover how Aboriginal Peoples reacted to the newcomers and how they communicated without speaking the same language. Explore eyewitness accounts to find clues about these first meetings, compare different points of view and consider whose voices are missing from the historical records.

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Aboriginal Eyewitness Accounts — Captain Cook's Arrival (1770)​​

Discover a remarkable account of Captain James Cook's arrival at Kamay (Botany Bay) in 1770, told through the memories of six Aboriginal men: Yadyer, Bullmayne, Dolmoik, Kurrul, Bluitt and Potta.

Explore an 1864 newspaper article describing their recollections, reportedly shared in 1821. Find out what Aboriginal Peoples thought when they first saw the Endeavour, how they responded to the unfamiliar visitors and what they remembered about the landing. Compare their reported experiences with Cook's journal and investigate why historical accounts sometimes tell different stories.

Stage 2 learning focus:

Imagine seeing a huge sailing ship approaching your Country for the first time. What would you think? Discover how Aboriginal Peoples described Cook's arrival, look for clues in an old newspaper report and compare their story with Cook's. Explore why people can remember or describe the same event differently, and why listening to Aboriginal voices helps us understand Australia's history.