Australian History: Dirk Hartog
In 1611, a new sailing route that stretched across the Pacific Ocean from Cape York, in South Africa to the west coast of Australia was pioneered by Brouwer. This new sailing route took advantage of the powerful winds known as the Roaring Forties. The winds were so powerful that it would blow ships, slamming them into the shores of the western coast of Australia.
In 1616 Hartog was sailing to Java in the East Indies by this new route. His ship was blown too far east and Hartog landed on a small island (now called Dirk Hartog Island) off the west coast of Australia on the 25th October 1616. The large bay of the island was later named by William Dampier as Shark Bay. Hartog went onshore and named the island Eendrachsland, after his ship. He is the first known European to have landed on Australian soil. Like may other explorers, Hartog nailed a pewter plate to a post. On it was an inscription which read:
" 1616 25th October arrived here the ship Eendracht of Amsterdam; the supercargo Gilles Mebais of Luick; Skipper Dirk Hartog, of Amsterdam , the 27 ditto set sail for Bantam. Subcargo Jan Stins; Upper-steersman Pieter Doores of Bil.
Dated 1616."
The plate now resides in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.