Willem de Vlamingh
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Willem de Vlamingh (born Willem Hesselsz, born November 18, 1640 on the island of Vlieland , † 1698 ) was a Dutch navigator and explorer .
He made a name for himself especially in the exploration of southwest Australia . In 1696 he began his search with three ships in Amsterdam for the VOC ( Dutch East India Company ) ship De Ridderschap , which had disappeared without a trace in 1694 and which left for Batavia (today's name Jakarta ) on July 11, 1693 with 325 men on board . The later destination of his expedition was what was then New Holland (today's Australia), which he tried to reach via the well-known route via the Cape of Good Hope and through the Indian Ocean . The names of the ships were Geelvink , Nyptangh and Wezeltje .
On December 29, 1696 he discovered Rottnest Island , which he named after the quokkas living there , which he thought were big rats. The following month, on January 10, 1697, he explored the Swan River , which he named after a species of animal found on its banks, the black swan . On February 4, 1697 he landed on Dirk Hartog Iceland in Western Australia , where he of Dirk Hartog mounted pewter - plaque was mentioned by a new replaced, on which his visit. The original plaque is now in the Rijksmuseum .
Several geographic objects in Western Australia were named after de Vlamingh.
literature
- GG Schilder (ed.), De ontdekkingsreis van Willem Hesselsz. de Vlamingh in de jaren 1696–1697 . The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff 1976
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vlamingh, Willem de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch navigator and explorer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 18, 1640 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vlieland |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1698 |