| The first authenticated discovery of Australia was made by the Dutch in 1606! |
On an exploration expedition organised by the Dutch East India Company, and in a small pinnace named the Duyfken, Dutch sea captain Willem Janszoon left Bantam and headed straight down the south coast of New Guinea (probably testing the rumour there was gold to be found).
From there he followed a southerly bend and crossed the Torres Strait. He continued on the western side of Cape York Penninsula and travelled farther south to what we now know as Cape Kerweer. This is the point where he stopped to take a look around.
He writes in his journal "wild, cruel, black savages by whom some of my crew were murdered". His crew were most likely the first white people to set foot on Australian soil but quite obviously disliking the place, he added another line in his journal... "no good to be done there".
Had Willem Janszoon, commander of the Duyfken examined the 'open passage' which he seems to have marked on his map, he would have anticipated Torres Strait by 5 months.
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