1. Australia is Discovered

2. Origin and History of the Name
Australia comes from the Latin word Australis, which means “of the south” or “southern.”

3. Origin and history of the name
Legends of an “unknown land of the south” (terra australias incognita) were common as far back as Roman times.

4. Origin and history of the name
References to Australia were common in medieval geography.
There was no evidence at the
time of Australia.
The Dutch East India official
called the newly discovered
land (1638) Australische.
The first use of the word
“Australia” in English was
in 1693.

5. European Exploration
Many Europeans claimed to be the first to discover Australia.
French navigator Binot Paulimer de Gonneville in 1504 (actually landed in Brazil)
Spanish expedition commanded by Pedro Fernandez de Quiros and piloted by Luis vaez de Torres in 1605 (actually landed in New Hebrides, now known as Vanuatu)
Portuguese expedition led by Cristóvão de Mendonça in 1522
None can be confirmed.

6. The Dutch
The first undisputed European sighting occurred in 1606 by the Dutch.
The Dutch vessel Duyfken,
captained by Willem Janszoon,
explored the coast of the Gulf
of Carpentaria.
They Dutch made one landing,
were promptly attacked by the
Aborigines, and abandoned
further exploration.

7. The Dutch
The Dutch charted all of the western and northern coastlines of “New Holland”.
On November 24, 1642 , Abel
Tasman discovered Tasmania
which he named
Van Diemen’s Land.
Van Diemen was the head
the Dutch East India
Company, Tasman’s employer.
Tasman claimed Van Diemen’s Land for the Netherlands.

8. The British
The first Englishman to see Australia was William Dampier, a former pirate.
He made two voyages around Australia (in 1688 and 1699) before returning
to England.
He was the first European
to report
Australia’s unusual,
large, hopping animals

10. It became a prison colony.
The British
In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia. He named it New South Wales and claimed it for Britain.
It became a prison colony.