It is well known that the colonization of Australia began thanks to the discoveries of James Cook. It was he who declared the new lands the property of the British Crown, gave names to capes and bays, plotted the continent's coastline. But, of course, everything is not so clear. The first of the Europeans to reach the coast of Australia was by no means Cook. He had many predecessors, sailing under the flags of the largest sea powers of that time: Portugal, Spain and Holland.
Unknown Southern Land
Even in antiquity, Europeans suspected that there should be a continent in the Southern Hemisphere , balancing the lands of the Northern Hemisphere. This mythical continent was a source of inspiration for sailors and cartographers. In their quest for enrichment, the Europeans hoped that Terra Australis would be rich and fertile. But they did not attempt a targeted search: the fact is that high latitudes did not bode well for sailors. They were famous for constant storms, and of their own accord no one swam there. In addition to storms, mariners feared thick fogs. It was the latter, presumably, that caused Australia to be discovered later than the islands surrounding it.
Population
If we talk about who first reached the shores of Australia, it makes sense to mention the Aborigines who settled the continent about 40 thousand years ago. Their ancestors came from Asia and managed to move to Australia because in those days, the land had a slightly different shape. Subsequently, the indigenous Australians were isolated from the rest of the world, their culture developed very slowly. Therefore, the European conquerors unanimously called them "miserable."
Who first reached the shores of Australia?
In the early 16th century, the Portuguese colonialists mastered the Sunda Islands. Local residents told them about the lands lying in the southeast. The Portuguese landed on the northwestern shores of the continent, examined them and found them to be futile. They left some evidence of their stay here: a few centuries later, Portuguese guns were found on the shores of Robac Bay.
In the middle of the 16th century, another new land was discovered in relative proximity - Papua (New Guinea). All islands found in these latitudes (as a rule, by chance) were perceived as parts of the Unknown Southern Land, but neither the Portuguese nor the Spaniards intrigued the new territories. The shores were too harsh and the inhabitants poor. Although the mainland coastline was partially mapped, history did not preserve the name of the captain, who was the first European to reach the coast of Australia.
East India Company Activities
By the time the Dutch became interested in the search for Terra Australis, Spanish sailors (Mendanya, Quiros and Torres) discovered the islands of Santa Cruz, as well as the Marquesas and Solomon Islands, and proved that New Guinea is not Southern Land. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch seized the Sunda Islands from the Portuguese, founded the East India Company and engaged in trade with India and Southeast Asia.
The course that the Dutch ships went to the Asian colonies, saved a lot of time, in addition, ran in relative proximity to the hypothetical South Land, which the Dutch were actively looking for. It is believed that the first of the Europeans reached the coast of Australia, the Dutch captain Willem Janszon. There is documentary evidence of this fact. The inhabitants of the Cape York Peninsula met the sailors of Janszon more than unfriendly, and the captain hastened to set sail. This happened in 1606.
Tasman Swimming
Despite Yanszon’s negative comments about the new land and its inhabitants, the East India Company continued to send its ships to these waters. The new governor of Batavia (Jakarta) - Anton Van Dimen - in 1642 ordered Abel Tasman to find new lands at all costs.
Despite the storm, Tasman’s ships unscathed reached the shores of another island, which was called Van Dimen Land, and after years was renamed Tasmania. Abel declared it possession of the Dutch, but he still did not understand that in front of him was an island or part of the mainland. He then discovered New Zealand, about which the Europeans knew nothing, and the islands of Tonga and Fiji. It was found that all the previously found islands are not part of the mainland, conditionally called "New Holland". The borders of the unknown Southern Earth moved farther south.
Dampier in Australia
Tasman's voyages turned out to be unprofitable. In addition, in the mid-17th century, Holland suffered a series of defeats from England and lost its high status. The British engaged in the study of the southern seas. Of these, U. Dampier was the first to reach the shores of Australia. He sailed twice to Australia (New Holland), made an investigation of the northwest coast and wrote two books about it. Thanks to them, the new continent became known to the world (the Dutch kept all their findings secret).
Cook's first journey
Lieutenant James Cook became famous for his abilities for navigation and cartography. Therefore, it was his British government that sent to explore New Zealand and its environs. True, officially he was only supposed to conduct observations of Venus passing through the solar disk (this event was of interest to astronomers). In addition, James was authorized to “stake out” all the lands he discovered. When Cook reached Australia, it was 1770. The expedition explored more than 1600 km of the eastern coastline. These lands the lieutenant named New South Wales.
In several strategically important bays, his sailors hoisted British flags. Cook also discovered and explored the Great Barrier Reef and found that New Zealand is formed by two islands.
Important discoveries
When James Cook reached Australia, he landed in the bay, which later became known as Botany Bay. Here the British saw strange plants and animals that were not found in their homeland. It is believed that the bay was named Botanical Gulf at the initiative of the ship's scientist Banks. In this place, the team immediately began conflicts with the indigenous population. In fact, the colonization of Australia by the British began with the destruction of local residents, who in those days were considered to be inferior.
Not very far from Botany, Bay Cook found an extremely convenient harbor, which, of course, was reported to the government. Later, there appeared the first city on the new continent - Sydney. Mariners proceeded along the east coast, and then went around the north. Cook gave names to all important geographical features and drew a map of the coastline. The British did not care who first reached the shores of Australia. It was important for them to announce the appropriation of these territories. Therefore, they left all kinds of evidence of their stay, hoisted flags and carefully documented their actions.
Cook Travel Results
James returned to the shores of New Zealand on his next trip, but he no longer landed in Australia. His task was to prove that the mysterious Southern Continent still exists. And when Cook reached the coast of Australia, he already knew exactly, unlike his predecessors, that he was in New Holland, and not somewhere else.
Ships crossed the Arctic Circle and went so far into high latitudes that they met with drifting ice and icebergs. Cook made a logical conclusion that if the Southern Continent exists, then it is impossible to reach it, and it is not of interest, since it is covered with ice.
As for Australia, already 17 years after its official opening in Botany Bay a ship arrived with convicts from England, who were supposed to start a new life here.
conclusions
We can’t say with certainty who the first of the Europeans reached the coast of Australia, however, it was not Cook. His merit is that he practically rediscovered this continent, studied it thoroughly and prepared the ground for subsequent colonization.