Connecting Terra Australis to the world using maps and images as sources of evidence
Dutch explorers
Overview
During the early 1600s, Dutch explorers—working for the Dutch East India Company (VOC)—played a key role in connecting the Great Southern Land (Terra Australis) to the wider world. Their voyages were not aimed at settlement, but at trade and navigation, particularly routes to the East Indies (Indonesia).
Through their maps, charts, and recorded observations, Dutch mariners were the first Europeans to systematically map parts of Australia, gradually introducing it into global maps and navigation networks.
This knowledge was not created at once, but built gradually through multiple voyages and shared across Europe through maps.
​
Early ideas of Terra Australis
~
Voyage chapters
Voyage chapters
Before Dutch exploration:
-
European mapmakers imagined a large southern continent called: Terra Incognita (Unknown Land)
-
These ideas appeared on maps as a hypothetical southern land mass, not based on direct evidence
Dutch voyages changed this by providing real, recorded geographic information
Key Dutch voyages and contributions
Willem Janszoon (1606)
-
First recorded European to sight and record part of Australia (Cape York)
-
His voyage was recorded and later used to produce maps of the northern coastline. The original maps or charts from his voyage have not survived.
-
Helped place Australia on world maps
Dirk Hartog (1616)
-
Landed on the west coast of Australia (Shark Bay)
-
The land was later named Eendrachtsland (Land of the Eendracht) after his ship
-
Left a pewter plate inscription at Cape Inscription - the oldest physical evidence of European presence in Australia​
Why Hartog is important:
-
His voyage was accidental, showing how exploration often occurred during trade journeys
-
His records were later used in maps such as the1627 chart by Hessel Gerritsz (see below)
-
Helped add the west coast to global knowledge
Abel Tasman (1642–1644)
-
Explored and mapped parts of the south and west of the Pacific region, including Tasmania
-
Discovered:
-
Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land)
-
New Zealand
-
-
His voyages helped show Australia was a separate land mass
Primary source Dutch maps of note
~
Source: State Library of NSW
Download: [Chart of the Malay Archipelago and the Dutch discoveries in Australia]
Cartographer: Hessel Gerritsz
Published: 1618
This map is one of the earliest European maps showing Australia and nearby regions. It includes information from early Dutch voyages, such as those of Willem Janszoon and Dirk Hartog.
It shows how sailors’ records were turned into maps, even though knowledge of the coastline was still incomplete.
This map is a primary source because it shows how exploration was recorded and shared, helping connect Australia to the wider world through trade and navigation.
Why this is an excellent primary source
-
It was created very close to the time of exploration
-
It is based on first-hand navigation records & journals
-
It shows early and incomplete European knowledge of Australia
Chart of the Malay Archipelago and the Dutch discoveries in Australia / by Hessel Gerritsz.
Map: Based on Dutch voyages (including Dirk Hartog), compiled 1627
​
-
It records parts of the coastline as: Landt van d’Eendracht (named after Hartog’s ship)
-
It demonstrates how: exploration → recorded in journals → turned into maps → shared globally
-
It provides evidence of progressive mapping over time
Map: Chart of the Malay Archipelago and the Dutch discoveries in Australia, 1618
~
Source: Western Australian Museum
Link: 1616 Dirk Hartog | Western Australian Museum
Cartographer: Hessel Gerritsz
Published: 1627
This map is a primary source that shows how the voyage of Dirk Hartog contributed to connecting Terra Australis to the wider world. It was compiled from sailors’ journals and navigation records, demonstrating how new geographic knowledge was shared and added to global maps.
Map of the Land of the Eendracht, compiled from the journals and notes of the steersmen (navigators) 1627
By recording the west coast of Australia, it helped introduce the continent into European navigation systems.
Why this is an excellent primary source
-
It is based on first-hand navigation records
-
It shows early European knowledge of Australia
-
It records the coastline as: Landt van d’Eendracht (named after Hartog’s ship)
-
It demonstrates how: exploration → recorded in journals → turned into maps → shared globally
-
It provides evidence of progressive mapping over time
~
Map: Dutch map showing early European knowledge of Australia (Doncker’s The Sea Atlas, 1659)
Source: National Library of Australia
Link: Early explorers | National Library of Australia (NLA)
Cartographer/Publisher: Jan Jansson and Hendrick Doncker, Based on Dutch navigational knowledge from VOC voyages
Published: 1659
This map is part of Doncker’s The Sea Atlas (1659), which was an essential tool for sailors during the Dutch "golden age" of mapmaking. These maps often included guesses about unexplored areas - sometimes wrong, but often surprisingly accurate. On this particular map, the west coast of Australia is sketched, reflecting the early Dutch encounters with this mysterious land.
Map part of Doncker's The Sea Atlas (1659)
Why this is an excellent primary source
-
It was created in the 17th century, close to the time of early Dutch exploration
-
It shows early European knowledge of Australia, based on real voyages
-
It labels the continent as: Hollandia Nova (New Holland) / Terre Australe (Great Southern Land)
-
It includes coastlines recorded by Dutch navigators, showing how knowledge developed over time
-
It reflects how maps combined observation and educated guesswork about unknown regions
-
It was used by sailors, showing its role in navigation and global exploration
-
It demonstrates how information from voyages was shared across Europe, helping connect Terra Australis to the wider world
~​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Map: Joan (Johannes) Blaeu, Nova Archipelagi Orientalis Tabula, 1663
Source: National Library of Australia
Cartographer: Joan (Johannes) Blaeu
Published: 1663
This map is one of the most important early representations of Australia and the surrounding region. Created in 1663, it documents the results of Dutch voyages of discovery in Southeast Asia and Australasia, particularly those of Abel Tasman, along with earlier Dutch encounters with the Australian coastline.
The map labels Australia as “New Holland” and presents it as a central feature rather than a distant or unknown land. This reflects a significant shift in European geographical understanding, moving from the imagined Terra Australis to a more accurately mapped coastline based on recorded voyages.
Archipelagus Orientalis, sive Asiaticus Johannes Blaeu (The Blaeu Map)
The Blaeu Map remained the authoritative source of cartographic information about Australia until James Cook mapped the east coast in 1770.
This map is a primary source that demonstrates how Dutch exploration helped connect Terra Australis to the wider world. It combines information from multiple voyages and presents it in a form that could be shared and used across Europe. By centring “New Holland” on the map and incorporating real navigational data, it transformed Australia from a theoretical land into a recognised part of global geography.
Why this is an excellent primary source
-
It was created in the 17th century, close to the time of Dutch exploration
-
It documents real voyages, including those of Abel Tasman
-
It includes knowledge gathered from multiple Dutch expeditions (from 1606 onwards)
-
It labels Australia as: New Holland
-
It represents the most complete Dutch understanding of Australia before Cook
-
It was widely used and remained authoritative for over a century
-
It shows how maps were used to share geographic knowledge globally
-
It reflects the Dutch Golden Age of cartography, combining accuracy, detail and design
~
Map: Based on Dutch voyages (including Tasman and earlier explorers), 1663
Source: National Library of Australia
Link: Hollandia Nova detecta 1644 ; Terre Australe decouuerte l'an 1644 [cartographic material] Translation: New Holland discovered in 1644; Southern Land discovered in the year 1644 [cartographic material]
Cartographer: Melchisedech Thevenot
Published: 1663
This map is a primary source based on the voyages of Dutch explorers, including Abel Tasman. Published in 1663 by Melchisédech Thévenot, it shows parts of Australia labelled as “New Holland” and “Terra Australis.” The map includes coastlines progressively mapped by Dutch explorers and demonstrates how knowledge of Australia was gradually added to global maps.
New Holland discovered in the year 1644.
It also reflects how Dutch geographic knowledge was shared across Europe, as it was based on earlier Dutch maps and later published in France, helping to connect the Great Southern Land to the wider world.
Why this is an excellent primary source
-
It shows early European knowledge of Australia
-
Labels parts of the continent as: Hollandia Nova (New Holland) Terre Australe (Great Southern Land)
-
It includes coastlines mapped by Dutch explorers
-
It helped introduce Australia to global maps and navigation
~
Willem Janszoon
There are no surviving maps drawn by Willem Janszoon himself—but there are primary source maps based on his voyage, and these are what historians use. Although Janszoon was not a cartographer, his 1606 voyage on the Duyfken was recorded in ship logs and navigator notes. This information was quickly used by Dutch cartographers to produce maps.
Primary source maps based on Janszoon’s voyage
1. Hessel Gerritsz maps (1618; 1622 / 1627 versions)
-
Cartographer: Hessel Gerritsz
-
Show: Cape York Peninsula (northern Australia)
-
Based on: Janszoon’s 1606 voyage and other early Dutch expeditions
-
These maps are the closest primary source evidence of Janszoon’s discoveries
-
The 1618 map shows how quickly voyage information was recorded and shared
2. Joan Blaeu maps (mid-1600s)​
-
Show: Expanding outline of New Holland
-
Incorporate:
-
-
Janszoon’s discoveries
-
Hartog and Tasman
-
3. Thévenot map (1663)
-
Cartographer: Melchisédech Thévenot
-
Based on:
-
Earlier Dutch maps (including Janszoon’s data)​​
-