Did The Dutch Deserve Credit For American Exploration

In the years 1606 and 1770 over 50 European ships landed in Australia, which at the time was inhabited by the aborigines. Currently, the British are given the credit for this exploration, however this essay will argue that the British and the Dutch deserve equal credit. Although the Dutch exploration discovered the north, west and south parts of Australia (more than the British, whom only discovered the north side), Captain Cook claimed Australia and conducted extensive exploration of the east coast. The main Dutchman who deserves the credit is Willem Janszoon, but that doesn’t mean that no other Dutch explored Australia, Janszoon prompted further exploration from the Dutch. Some credit can be given to Captain James Cook for exploring the east side. Captain Cook can be given credit for claiming Australia for the British, and for later on promoting settlement onto the east coast. This led to the western colonization of Australia.

The Dutch were the first Europeans to discover Australia, but out of all of them, the main Dutchman who deserves credit is Willem Janszoon. In 1606, Janszoon, along with other explorers including Dirk Hartog, landed on the north west cape of Western Australia. “This is the first recorded European

He arrived on the east side circa 1768-1771. “When Cook was coming up to Australia, he expected to find a coastline running north south, instead of east west” (Peter Aughton, 1999). He came to Australia to claim it for the British, and that’s what he did. “He was a latecomer to the Age of Exploration, but James Cook still managed to put his mark on world history.” (Heather Whipps, 2008). He explored thoroughly on the east coast of Australia, including NSW. When Captain Cook landed in Botany Bay, he claimed Australia for the British. This is very significant because this started a long chain of events that eventually led to the settlement of