1606 Australia. A brief history of Australia
Who discovered Australia? The first explorers of the Green Continent
Think James Cook? But you didn’t guess!
It is not entirely true to say that the primacy in the discovery of the smallest continent of our Planet belongs to the English navigator James Cook. Although the version is considered official, it causes debate among scientists. Historians differ somewhat on this issue. So what's the reason? AND who discovered Australia in fact? Let's figure it out with us.
This question gives rise to controversy in the scientific world. If we talk about when a person's foot first set foot on the territory of Australia, we will hear one opinion. According to another judgment, one should take into account when the first foreigners appeared on the expanses of the Green Continent, although they did not know that they were on a new continent. The third, generally accepted option, says that you need to build on the date when the entire civilized world learned about Australia.
Australia. Sydney Opera House.
Official version
Why exactly James Cook? Thanks to a round-the-world voyage (1768 - 1771), which was led by a famous navigator, everyone around them learned about the existence of another continent. Since then, the Europeans began an active exploration of mysterious Australia, which gives every reason to consider James Cook the discoverer of a new continent.
In search of unknown southern lands, a young English sailor set out in 1868, when his first voyage around the world started. To investigate the passage of Venus through the solar disk - this goal was announced by the leaders of the expedition. But secret prescriptions spoke of the search for Terra Incognita, also called the Southern Continent.
On the eastern shores of the Green Continent, the ship "Endeavor", led by James Cook, turned up two years after the start of the voyage - April 1770. It was this date that historians recognized as official.
Who discovered Australia before James Cook?
- First settlers
The appearance of the ancestors of indigenous people on the lands of the Green Continent was recorded 40-60 thousand years ago. This is confirmed by the finds of archaeologists dating from this period. It is known that the pioneers sailed here by sea. However, it was not possible to establish where exactly their path began.
- Ancient Egyptians
Archaeological excavations carried out at different times in the territory of Ancient Egypt and Australia prove the theory. We know that eucalyptus grows only on the Green continent. How then could the Egyptians embalm mummies with eucalyptus oil? Confirmation of its use was found during the research of many burials. Studying the Australian continent, historians have found drawings of insects that resemble scarabs. Could this mean that trade relations were established between the peoples? Researchers' opinions are mixed.
- Portuguese
Some historians suggest that the Portuguese were the first seafarers among the Europeans to set foot on the lands of Australia. Having visited the Moluccas (1509), travelers began to move inland (northwest). In support of this theory, scientists cite data from archaeological research that took place in the above territories at the beginning of the 20th century. The remains of ship guns found in these places date back to the 16th century. The fragments are reminiscent of Portuguese ships.
There is not enough reliable evidence for all these versions. This gives rise to discussions in the scientific community.
- Dutch
Answering the question who discovered Australia, one cannot ignore the events of 1605, when a naval expedition led by the Dutch admiral Willem Janszon set off for the island of New Guinea. Their path began from the city of Bantam (Indonesia). After three months, the travelers found themselves off the coast of Australia (northwestern part). They carefully researched the lands they found, made detailed maps, but never realized that they had become the discoverers of the mainland. Considering that they are in New Guinea, they called it New Holland.
During the Middle Ages, the most incredible legends were made about the wild lands of Australia, calling the Green Continent Terra Australis Incognita, which translates as "unknown southern land."
Back at school, we were told that humanity owes the discovery of this picturesque continent, unique in its kind, to a captain and navigator from England. James Cook... It is believed that for the first time the inhabitants of the Big Earth, and specifically Cook, first set foot on the coast of Australia in 1770.
It turns out that Europeans have been to Australia even before the explorer J. Cook discovered it. Who, then, actually discovered the continent, and in what period of time was it a grand affair happened?
The first people in Australia appeared about 40-60 thousand years ago... It is they who are the ancestors of the current indigenous Australian population.
Archaeological finds held on the Green Continent in the western part of the mainland in the upper reaches of the Swan River prove that it was during this period that people began to live in this territory.
To this day, it has not been established exactly where the aborigines came from to the Australian continent. But it is known that then in Australia settled immediately several heterogeneous populations... Historians claim that humans arrived on the mainland by sea, thus becoming the earliest navigators in the world.
Who was in Australia before the Europeans
According to some assumptions by historians and archaeologists, there is an opinion that the discoverers of Australia were the ancient Egyptians, who brought from these lands the most valuable eucalyptus oil in those days.
In the course of research conducted in Australia, it was possible to find rock carvings of insects that outwardly resemble a scarab. In addition, the archaeological site in Egypt helped to find out that the mummies were embalmed with eucalyptus oil that was native to Australia.
Even such amazing historical discoveries and, it would seem, irrefutable evidence, many historians and researchers doubt it, because in Europe they began to talk about Australia much later than the heyday of Egypt.
The first Europeans to visit the Green Continent
Willem Jansson More in the 16th century Europeans have repeatedly tried to open Australia, but the navigators of that time were unable to get close to the mainland due to dangerous shores in some regions of the Green Continent.
A number of scholars believe that the Portuguese were the first inhabitants of Europe to set foot on the coast of Australia.
According to some historical data, it is believed that they did it. v 1509 year visiting the Moluccas.
After living on these Australian land masses for a while, in 1522 they moved to the northwest of the mainland. The presence of Portuguese sailors is proved by the found cannons dating from the 16th century. It is believed that this weapon belonged to sailors from Portugal.
To date, this version is not official. Australians claim that the first European to set foot on the Green Continent was a Dutch admiral Willem Jansson... This fact is indisputable today.
On his ship called Daifken in November 1605 he left the city of Bantam in Indonesia and went to New Guinea. After three months of his voyage, he landed on Cape York Peninsula, on the northwest coast of Australia.
It's important to know! Janszon has explored over 320 km of the Australian coast, making a detailed map of it.
Interesting that Admiral Willem Jansson never realized that he had actually discovered Australia. He took the found land for part of New Guinea and called this territory "New Holland".
Visited Australia after Janszon and another navigator from Holland - Abel Tasman... It was he who discovered the islands of New Zealand, and also entered the western coast of Australia on his detailed map.
It is thanks to the research of Dutch sailors that by the middle of the 17th century Australia began to take shape.
Australia's Official Discovery History
James Cook A number of scholars continue to insist that James Cook Is a true discoverer of Australia.
And all because as soon as he visited this continent, Europeans immediately began to come here.
Officially considered that the purpose of Cook's journey was to study the passage through the solar disk of the planet Venus.
But this world-famous navigator, and then a desperate young lieutenant, wanted to find the very same Terra Australis Incognita.
So, the city of Plymouth (England) became the starting point of Cook's round-the-world trip. In April 1769 on the ship "Endeavor" the captain and his crew reached the coast of Tahiti, and a year later he got to the eastern Australian coast. After its discovery, he went on an expedition to this mainland two more times.
It's important to know! James Cook discovered Australia on his voyage around the world in 1768 to discover the "unknown southern land."
So, during the third expedition of Cook in 1778 the Hawaiian Islands were discovered, which became the site of his tragic death. James Cook was unable to improve relations with the Hawaiians. When the navigator made an attempt to capture one local leader, he was allegedly killed in the battle with a blow to the back of the head with a spear.
Australia has always been an attractive territory for Europeans. The mysterious southern lands excited the minds of famous sailors. Of course, because this the mainland is incredibly beautiful and mysterious.
And although there are official versions of the discovery of the Green Continent, a number of researchers found evidence that Europeans visited these lands long before James Cook.
Australia is the smallest and most remote continent from Eurasia. During the Middle Ages, it was called Terra Australis Incognita, which means “unknown southern land”. Who discovered mainland Australia and in what year did it happen?
Official version
Humanity became aware of the new territory thanks to the traveler - navigator James Cook. Its purpose was to study the passage of Venus through the solar disk. It is believed that the real reason for Cook's trip was the search for uncharted lands in the southern latitudes of Terra Australis Incognita. He traveled around the world and discovered distant lands, reaching the coast of the mainland in 1770. This date is considered to be historically accurate. But it was known about the existence of a piece of land "at the end of the earth" much earlier. In addition, there were human settlements. It is difficult to determine the date of their foundation, approximately it happened 40-60 thousand years ago. Artifacts found in western Australia on the Swan River date back to this period.
Who discovered mainland Australia in prehistoric times?
Scientists suggest that the ancient Egyptians were the first travelers to land on the ocean. They brought eucalyptus oil from these parts.
This version is confirmed by rock paintings with insects similar to the Egyptian sacred scarabs. In addition, mummies have been found in tombs in Egypt, which were embalmed with oil from eucalyptus grown in Australia.
However, all these theories are not officially accepted, since the existence of a continent lost in the sea in Europe became known much later.
Who was the first to discover Australia?
Attempts to reach the continent have been made several times. In the 16th century, the Portuguese set out on the sea route. In 1509 they reached the Moluccas, and in 1522 they found themselves on the northwest coast. These dates are considered the first time the continent was founded by Europeans.
There is also a hypothesis that Admiral Willem Janszon discovered Australia, who arrived on the continent on behalf of the Dutch authorities. He embarked on a campaign in 1605. For this purpose, the ship "Daifken" was equipped. He followed in the direction of New Guinea and after three months of the journey reached the Cape York Peninsula. The navigator compiled a detailed map of the coastline with a length of 320 km. He did not even suspect that he had discovered a new continent, considering the lands to be the territories of New Guinea. Therefore, they were given the name "New Holland".
After him sailed to the mainland Abel Tasman. He explored the islands on the west coast and plotted their outlines on the world map. In honor of the discoverer, one of the islands is named - Tasmania.
So, by the 17th century, thanks to the efforts of Dutch travelers, the position on the world map of the mainland Australia and its islands became known.
Who and when discovered the penultimate continent on the planet is still a controversial issue - for the British it is James Cook, for the Dutch - Willem Janszon. And then there are the Spanish, Portuguese and French. The unusually long isolation of the mainland makes Australia a unique world.
The continent of Australia emerged about 50 million years ago, when it broke away from Antarctica. The first people appeared here during the Ice Age - 50 thousand years ago. And although European sailors visited Australia several times during the great geographical discoveries, the first British colony appeared here only in 1788.
Local Aborigines are Australia's shrouded secrets that anthropologists, geneticists and archaeologists are trying to unravel. Scientists have found that people on the mainland appeared during the glaciation of the ocean. This is how Australian ancestors, hunter-gatherers from Africa, were able not only to cross Asia, but also to adapt to moving between islands on primitive dams in Indonesia.
50 thousand years ago, glaciation contributed to the nomadic tribes to cross the water space between South-East Asia and Australia. Due to the worldwide change in temperature, the water level in the ocean then dropped by 120 m. This meant that African tribes had to swim only 100 km of water, instead of the estimated 560 km.
Also, scientists came to the conclusion that African tribes carried out only one wave of migration to the continent, and never returned to East-South Asia. In such isolated conditions, a small number of arriving tribes were able not only to preserve the gene pool and survive, but also to increase their number.
When the British actively studied Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries, naturalists assumed that the number of aborigines in Australia was close to 1 million.
But despite its impressive demographics, it is believed that about 12,000 years ago, during the last wave of glaciation, Australia's climate turned from lush forests to an arid desert. This is the reason why a significant number, about 60%, of local aborigines died out in search of drinking water.
Also, the disappearance of ideal living conditions contributed to the division of large tribes into small tribal groups. This is how the diverse world of Australian aborigines was formed, who maintained strong cultural, trade and barter ties with each other until the arrival of Europeans on the mainland.
The last changes in the gene pool of local aborigines took place about 12 thousand years ago- When the glacier retreated and the water level in the ocean began to rise, the last geological change in Australia took place. The increased water level in the ocean separated the modern island of Tasmania from Australia, and thereby isolated part of the island's tribes from the continent forever.
This is how linguistic diversity arose. Despite the relatively small number of Aboriginal people, there was the greatest cultural diversity here - the inhabitants of Australia spoke 500 languages, which linguists divided into 31 language families.
Today, half of these languages are lost unexplored. Scientists estimate that about 250 peoples lived in Australia.
Who was in Australia before the Europeans
Australian history is very popular not only among archaeologists and anthropologists. Geneticists and ecologists also pay special attention to the study of the historical and cultural heritage of the isolated continent itself. The most inexplicable hypotheses about the discovery of Australia are attributed to the Egyptians.
This is because some of the pharaohs were embalmed in eucalyptus oil, and some caves in Australia have drawings of scarabs. The presence of drawings of scarabs can be explained by the fact that it was people from Africa who arrived on the continent 50 thousand years ago. What is also possible - they have retained the totemic belief that they brought with them from their distant homeland.
The most favorable conditions for the arriving African tribes were found on the western coast of the mainland in the Murray River Valley and near Lake Mungo. It was there that anthropologists found the remains of a human skeleton, which is now about 42 thousand years old. According to the remains found, archaeologists can argue that the aborigines had a massive and large body structure.
Most of the skeletons of a modern anthropological specimen in Australia date back to about 4 thousand years ago.
Later, in the habitat of Lake Mungo, archaeologists also dug up the oldest archaeological objects of human activity. It is surprising that these tribes used ocher, plant pollen, which was part of symbolic rituals back in Africa.
Surprisingly to modern researchers, the Australian aborigines managed to preserve their genome and not die out from incest. This was facilitated by their division into small tribal groups, between which contacts took place regularly.
Also, these tribes managed to create not only a single socio-cultural environment, but also stable trade ties, which were very important for maintaining the existence of entire tribes. Unfortunately, this network was destroyed by the processes of colonization of the continent by Europeans - the aborigines lost not only millennial cultural habits, they were forcibly resettled and destroyed alliances.
Australian culture remains largely unexplored. Modern genetics is trying to save the situation, which compares the genomes of the found skeletons and living aborigines. Based on their results, scientists want to recreate a map of the development of cultural processes.
The first Europeans to visit the Green Continent
The discovery of this continent by Europeans is the result of the global process of great geographical discoveries of the 15th-18th centuries. At the beginning of modern times, the most powerful European states with an impressive fleet - Spain, Portugal and Holland - were actively looking for new lands with minerals. Only later, at the end of the XVII century. Britain and France joined this trinity.
There are several versions of who discovered Australia. This process took place gradually. There are hypotheses that the Portuguese were the first to come to the mainland. But this has not yet been documented. Then, almost simultaneously, while traveling, the northern coast of Australia was spotted by the Spanish and Dutch fleets. Accordingly, the leadership of each kept the discovery secret.
The Dutch have been actively exploring the mainland for 2 centuries. The first who discovered Australia was Willem Janszon, in 1606. After him a series of Dutch expeditions to the shores of Australia took place. Although they did not do well here, as after each return, the land of "New Holland" was designated the poorest continent.
Deposits of gold, diamonds and other precious minerals were found by the British only in the middle of the XIX century.
Then, almost 2 centuries later, the British came here with a specific goal - to proclaim these lands as British property and establish a colony. In 1788, in the Gulf of Botany, the first colony was founded here, to which British prisoners were taken out. The emergence of the first settlements was the beginning of a more thorough study of the nature of Australia, especially inland.
It is important that the appearance of Europeans here was the beginning of a decrease in the number of aborigines. There were constant clashes for survival between the colonialists and the natives. But also, representatives of local cultures turned out to be not resistant to the various diseases brought - an isolated genome and, accordingly, the immunity of the aborigines was unadapted to fight against unknown viruses.
Australia's demographic change also took place when not only the scum of British society began to arrive here, but also those wishing to farm and those who were infected with the "gold rush" of the XIX century. Thus, a local system of government was established in Australia, and representative bodies of power - parliaments - began to be created.
A few decades later, in 1901, local colonists held a referendum and proclaimed the creation of a federation. From that moment on, British and Australian histories became separate, although the connection with the former metropolis has not been lost to this day. For example, in Australia, the head of state is the British Queen Elizabeth. Although her power today is only symbolic, and does not manifest itself in any way.
Australia's Official Discovery History
The assumptions about the existence of Australia were voiced by ancient philosophers. Then, in the 5th century, Ptolemy suggested that in order to balance the planet, there must be an earth somewhere there. This idea came to life again during the active great geographical discoveries, when European countries were looking for new lands with gold.
In 1565, the Spanish monk André de Urdaneta suggested that a southern continent should exist in the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west of South America. During the first round-the-world trip of Magellan in 1519-1522. these lands were already called "the unknown southern land" by cartographers. Terra Australis Incognita.
In 1606, for the first time, Portuguese navigator Pedro Ferdinand de Quiros mistakenly decided that he had discovered that very new continent, and named it Austrialia de Espiritu Santo. Wanting to gain the glory of the second Columbus, he abandoned half of the flotilla, and headed for the royal court. But it turned out to be not the cherished Australia, the New Hebrides archipelago, 83 islands to the east of Australia.
But his subordinate Torres then swam further and really discovered the northern coast of Australia and the southern coast of New Guinea. But the official opening of the mainland took place in 1772, when Jace Cook proclaimed these lands a new British colony. Although the Dutch mariners had visited the mainland several times for 163 years, they kept its discovery a secret.
Despite the proclamation of British rule in Australia, the exploitation of the mainland began only 16 years later, and not in the most positive colors - then, in 1788, English prisoners and prostitutes were brought here, who were caught on the streets of London. It is believed that if villains were brought to Australia, then the most dangerous were taken even further - to the island of Tasmania.
In fact, only 100 years later, the local infrastructure was developed, farming began to develop, and gold deposits were found on the mainland. This provoked a flow of not only those wishing to engage in agriculture, but also a golden fever.
More than 2 centuries, before the active settlement of the mainland, Europeans made several very important expeditions to the shores of Australia. Then their main goal was the study by naturalists and artists of an unknown nature - flora and fauna, and rarely - attempts to establish contacts with the aborigines.
The most important expeditions were led by the following captains:
| Expedition | Year |
| (Portugal) | 20s 16 Art. |
| Luis Vaez de Torres (Spain) | 1606 |
| Willem Janszon (Holland) | 1606 |
| Derk Hartog (Holland) | 1616 |
| Frederic de Houtman (Holland) | 1619 |
| Abel Tasman (Holland) | 1642, 1644 |
| Willem de Vlaminck (Holland) | 1696 |
| William Dampier (UK) | 1699 |
| James Cook (UK) | 1772, 1774 |
| Jean Francois La Perouse (France) | 1788 |
| George Bass (UK) | 1797 |
| Matthew Flinders (UK) | 1801 |
Expeditions to Australia: history, description
The discovery of Australia is the result of a series of important events for mankind associated with the great geographical discoveries and the colonization of overseas territories around the world.
Modern discussions about the importance of many expeditions to the shores of Australia do not stop today. Each of them made important discoveries related to nature not only in Australia, but also in Oceania. But the collective experience of the past centuries has become available to everyone only now, and then, every European country in strict secrecy tried to figure out what to do with the new territories.
Expedition of Cristovan de Mendonza
Despite the fact that it has not yet been possible to document the primacy of the Portuguese navigators in the discovery of Australia, this hypothesis deserves its right to exist. Australia was first discovered by the Portuguese navigator Cristovan de Mendoza.
During the next search for lands with gold, he stumbled upon the west coast of Australia, which he later marked on his maps. This is confirmed by archaeological finds on the seashore - 2 Portuguese bronze cannons from the beginning of the 16th century. It is assumed that they appeared here during one of the Portuguese naval expeditions to the Moluccas in 1509.
Luis Vaez de Torres expedition
In the midst of the search for new colonial lands, the Spanish navigator Luis Torres was officially the first to record the northern coast of the then unknown land. In 1605, he announced the opening of new territories to the royal governor in the Philippines.
Since Spain did not then have the means to explore this continent, they decided to keep the discovery secret until better times, which for the Spaniards never came.
This discovery coincided with the fall of the power of the Spanish monarchy, so it was not possible for Spain to explore new lands and appropriate them.
Later, almost two centuries later, this northernmost point of the mainland, James Cook will call Cape York. Only over time, the body of water, through which Luis Torres sailed, will be named in his honor - the Torres Strait.
It was Torres who officially opened Australia first, but he was not destined to announce this, which is why his glory faded into oblivion. He became the first to sail further than Southeast Asia and discovered the shores of New Guinea and Australia.
Expedition of Willem Janszon
Almost at the same time with the Spaniards, the Dutch sailed to the shores of Australia. Only in contrast to Spain, Holland in the 17th century was a strong maritime country, often leading in the number of discoveries of new territories.
Therefore, starting in 1606, Holland carried out how important, but secret, expeditions to explore the unknown southern continent, which they called "New Holland". The Dutchman Willem Janszon opened Australia, he landed on a new coast 400 km west of the Spaniards, where he explored, together with a crew of 26 sailors, a coastline 320 km long.
Then he decided that these lands were part of New Guinea. Later it became clear that Janszon had explored the length of the Gulf of Carpentaria and reached the Cape York Peninsula. Despite the factual errors, the Dutch also recorded new latitudes on their nautical charts, and as a result of which the Netherlands East India Campaign began to actively explore new lands, keeping them secret.
Jan Carstens expedition
In 1623, Jan Carstens and Willia van Colester, having studied the shores of New Guinea and Cape Valais, also headed east, to the lands discovered by Janszon - to Zeytland. But when they got to the Australian coast, for unknown reasons, the skipper Willia van Coolster, unauthorizedly left Jan Kartens, left in a different direction.
Jan Kartens also discovered Janszon's cartographic errors. Then Australia and New Guinea were designated as a single territory on nautical maps. After the expedition of Jan Carstens, the water area between Arnhemland and Cape York became known as Carnentaria.
And while searching for fresh water, his team moved much farther south than his predecessor did - to the modern Gilbert River. Having studied the local nature, and faced with the natives, Jan Kartens then concluded that this is the most barren coast that his team has seen. While exploring the coast, they captured one aborigine, who was then shown to everyone.
Abel Tasman Expeditions
Australia was discovered from the southern side of the mainland by another Dutch navigator, Abel Tasman. In total, he managed to carry out 2 expeditions in this region. The first of which was called "A Brilliant Failure", as Tasman managed to discover many of the islands of Oceania, but did not see Australia itself - he managed to swim around the mainland at a distance far enough not to see him.
In 1642, Tasman first discovered the island of Tasmania (he himself named it Vanden Land in honor of his patron from the East Indian campaign), and then New Zealand, Fiji and many other small islands. During the second expedition in 1644, Tasman had already landed in northern Australia.
His first expedition was a record - no one had ever swum so far south. Also, in 1642, he managed to circumnavigate the Australian mainland. Therefore, later, after his second expedition, Tasman will not only call these lands New Holland, but he will also be able to say that this is a single mass of land.
In 1644, when Tasman finally landed in Australia, he had important assignments from the Netherlands East India campaign:
- to study the flora and fauna of the mainland of the northeast coast;
- explore the landscape and the embankment line;
- find minerals;
- establish trade contacts with local tribes.
But the mission was unsuccessful - the trade did not start, no gold was found. Jan Kartens' conclusion was confirmed - it is a very poor continent. The Dutch for a long time lost interest in the lands of New Holland.
James Cook expedition
According to the official history, Australia was discovered by the British navigator James Cook. The rise of the British monarchy's interest in southern waters was the result of the Seven Years' War with Spain. Then Britain, having selected a secret archive, found the records of Luis Torres, and learned about the existence of the Southern mainland.
The first British expedition to the shores of Australia was carried out by William Dampier in 1699. He explored the vast western bay, which was listed in the Spanish archives, and Captain Dampier also discovered the Melanesian island of New Britain (modern part of Papua New Guinea).
But it was not until 1770 that a second British flotilla, led by James Cook, was sent to establish a new colony of the British monarchy.
The official reason for this expedition was called an important astronomical event - observation of the rare movement of celestial bodies - the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun, which European astronomers and naturalists were supposed to observe on the island of Haiti. The crew of the only ship "Endeavor" headed for Tahiti, and only then - to Terra Australis Incognita - the unknown southern land.
So, on April 19, 1770, the British fleet stopped at Botany Bay, where the local flora and fauna were studied. Further, exploring the east coast, the ship hit the Great Barrier Reef and was damaged. James Cook explored the east and northeast coast of Australia and named the new British colony New South Wales.
After a lengthy renovation, when the team returned to their homeland, the mainland was officially opened. On August 20, 1770, James Cook proclaimed the new land a British possession. Cook did not find fresh water on the mainland, so in his report he described these lands as uninhabitable. But in 1786 the British government nevertheless decided to begin the colonization of the lands discovered by Cook.
And in 1788, 11 British squadrons with 778 prisoners on board arrived in Australia, in Botany Bay. And as it turned out later, there was still fresh water here.
Australia was last opened by the French captain Jean François La Perouse in January 1788, but his team was only a few days late before the British prisoners had already been brought here. Therefore, the study of the new mainland by the French turned out to be record-breaking short.
Article formatting: Lozinsky Oleg
Video about who discovered Australia
Who Discovered Australia? Secrets of the Ages. Artifacts:
In 1565 the Spanish monk Andrei de Urdaneta was the first of the Europeans to cross. His travel journal led many to believe that somewhere west of the southern tip of South America could be a large southern continent (Australia). In 1606, Pedro Fernández de Quiros, a Portuguese captain who served in Spain, reached what he mistook for a continent. Kyros named it "Australia" after the Spanish king, who was also the Grand Duke of Austria. However, in fact, the land discovered by Kyros turned out to be one of the islands of the New Hebrides archipelago.
Discovery of a new continent
At the end of the XVI century. Holland became a powerful sea power. In 1606, the Dutch captain from Amsterdam, Billem Yangzoon, was the first of the Europeans to reach Australia. He sailed to the Gulf of Carpentaria off its northern coast. In 1642, another Dutchman, Abel Tasman, saw the island (now Tasmania) and named it Van Diemen's Land, after the manager of the Dutch East India Company where Tasman served. He then headed towards New Zealand and reached the islands of Tonga and Fiji. After that, the Dutch lost interest in geographical research. Further exploration of Australia resumed only over a century later.
Captain Cook
James Cook (1728-1779) was born in Yorkshire, England. He was the son of a farmer and received only elementary education at a local school, and at the age of 12 he already went to work: first in a shop, and then in a ship company. In 1756, Cook joined the Navy. He was an extraordinary person, with a strong character and great mind. He became a skilled navigator and astronomer, in 1768 he was promoted to lieutenant and took command on the ship "Indever". The ship "Indever" was built in Whitby (Yorkshire, England) and was intended to transport coal to ports on the British coast.
Fight disease
In the XVIII century. on long voyages out of every 100 sailors, an average of 60 people died, 50 of them from various diseases. To reduce the incidence of the disease, Cook introduced strict rules. Crew members had to wash every day, their clothes and beds were aired twice a week, and the entire ship was regularly fumigated with smoke. Cook always took a large supply of fresh fruit with him to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a lack of vitamin C in the body. Scurvy was perhaps the main cause of high mortality among sailors. He also took care of the purchase of fresh meat and vegetables. These measures had a beneficial effect on the health of seafarers.
Man and his destiny
Imbued with the scientific ideas of his time, Cook did not miss the opportunity to direct his ship to the shores of Tahiti to observe the planet Venus: in 1769 it passed between the Earth and the Sun. Together with Cook, a naturalist, a botanist and two artists participated in the expedition. Cook carried with him a special package, which was to be opened only after the observations were completed and described. The package contained a secret order to try to find the fifth continent, with the help of scientists to study its flora and fauna, as well as the life of the indigenous population, and declare these lands the possessions of Great Britain. In April 1769 the expedition reached the island of Tahiti. On June 3, scientists made observations of Venus, and after 10 days the ships continued to sail. Two islanders set out with the expedition as guides to help explore the small islets. The ships were heading for New Zealand. There, the Maori natives greeted them with hostility. A real battle broke out: more than a hundred warriors in a canoe attacked the "Indever".
Landing on the continent
In April 1770 the ships entered the bay on the east coast of Australia, Cook landed. He named the bay of Bothnia, in memory of the large botanical collection that he managed to collect here. Sailing north along the coast of the continent, the ship came across the reefs of the Great Barrier Reef and was wrecked. After a long repair, the expedition headed home and in July 1771 returned to England.
Cook's last voyages
Cook made two more expeditions and made important discoveries. In the first of these, he set out in July 1772 from Plymouth on two ships. In January 1774, Cook's ships crossed latitude 70, the southernmost latitude that Europeans had until then reached. 
The sailors visited Easter Island. In 1778, Cook sailed to the Commonwealth Islands (now the Hawaiian Islands). At first, the Hawaiians took him for a god, but very soon they became disillusioned with their guests. Cook hastily sailed from Hawaii, but six days later was forced to return, as his ship "Determination" was caught in a storm and was thoroughly battered. A fight broke out, during which Cook was killed.
