the chinese, malays, hindu and buddhist colonists of the islands of southeast asia suspected the existence of a "great southland." its existence was even found on many maps. later, muslims and bugis trepang fishers also knew of australia, otherwise known as the "north coast."
a series of maps from france between 1536-1567 based on portuguese originals show a large landmass named "java la granda." this would become known as australia. many scholars use this as proof of portuguese discovery, but there independent of an actual voyage. there is also a questionable account of a supposed discovery of australia by a french navigator by the name of de gonneville in 1504. in 1536 a map form dieppe was published showing a large landmass "java la granda". but there is no evidence to prove that de gonneville ever made the voyage.
the first european whose claim to having sighted and landed on australia can be substantiated was a named willem janszoon (jansz). janszoon was a dutch sea captain who set sail under the command of the dutch east india company to explore the south coast of new guinea. the dutch east india company was in search for new lands and new places to trade. the "duyfken," which means 'little dove," was the ship that made this voyage. it would become very well known, more so than janszoon. janszoon and his men sailed past the islands known as kai and aru and went on 220 odd miles along through the undiscovered part of new guinea. then the ship sailed into torres strait. it is believed that instead of the ship running into what is thought of as a cul-de-sac, the duyfken continued to head south. in 1606 janszoon and his crew sailed southeast beyond papua new guinea (os papuas) and found australia. janzoon encountered the cape york peninsula and sailed along the coastline for 300 kilometers. it is also said that janszoon sailed off from the island banda indonesia, in search for gold and trade in the island of nova guinea. willem janszoon was the first european to record his voyages to australia; thus this is the beginning of australia's history. because of his discovery, australia was first known as "new holland."
this was not only the first time that europeans encountered australia, but also the first time europeans encountered australia's native people, the aborigines. the contact did not go very well. nine crewmembers of the duyfken were killed in a fight as the crew attempted to trade. the aborigines were later referred to as "heathen man eaters" and "wild cruel black savages". janzoon and his crew returned to europe and had to report bad news.
in 1642 the dutch east india company mounted an expedition to explore this southern land. abel tasman made two voyages from batavia in the 1640s, during which he discovered the region he called van diemen's land (renamed tasmania some 200 years later). although tasman charted the coast of new holland from cape york to the great australian bight, as well as the southern reaches of van diemen's land, he did no sight the continent's east coast.
the prize for being australia's original "pom" goes to the enterprising pirate william dampier, who made the first investigations ashore about 40 years after tasman and nearly 100 years before cook. his records of new holland, from visits made to shark bay on the west coast in 1688 and 1698, influenced the european idea of a primitive and godless land.
the final act in the early exploration of australia started in 1768 when captain james cook, commanding hm bark endeavour, was sent to the south seas to observe the transit of venus and explore the 'great south land'. on 19 april 1770 zachary hicks, the first lieutenant on the ship, sighted the coast of australia. cook sailed up the coast for the next four months and on 22 august 1770, on possession island, he claimed all the eastern coast for king george iii and named it new south wales. the first fleet arrived at botany bay and finding the area unsuitable, sailed north to the entrance of sydney harbour where the fleet landed at farm cove on january 26, 1788.
