Of an estimated 200 place names the Dutch bestowed on Australian localities in the 17th century as a result of the Dutch voyages of exploration along the western, northern and southern Australian coasts, only about 35 can still be found on current maps. Five out of six names were either renamed or forgotten or their locations were lost.[1] Other places were named after the early Dutch explorers by later British explorers or colonists, for instance the Australian state of Tasmania is named after Abel Tasman. Australia itself was called New Holland by the English and Nieuw Holland by the Dutch.
The Dutch charted the western side of Cape York Peninsula and the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Willem Janszoon made the first recorded European landfall in Australia during the Janszoon voyage of 1605-6.
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaap Keerweer | Cape Keerweer | 1606 | Meaning "turn-about" cape, the point where the Duijfken turned back North | -13.9333°N 141.475°W | ||
| Golf van Carpentaria | Gulf of Carpentaria | 1623 | Pieter de Carpentier, then Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies | -13.9833°N 139°W | Situated between the Northern Territory and Queensland | |
| Coen Rivier | Coen River | 1623 | Jan Pieterszoon Coen, previous Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies | -13.6167°N 150°W | Renamed to Archer River, while its southern tributary (the "South Coen River") retained its name[2] | |
| Staaten Rivier | Staaten River | 1623 | Like Staten Island after the Staten-Generaal | -16.4°N 158°W | ||
| Nassau Rivier | Nassau River[3] | 1644 | Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange | -15.9°N 164°W | ||
| Van Diemens Baai | Van Diemen Inlet | 1644 | Anthony van Diemen, then Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies | -16.9667°N 199°W | ||
| Kaap Van Diemen | Cape Van Diemen | 1644 | Anthony van Diemen | -16.5167°N 181°W | eastern cape of Mornington Island in the Wellesley Islands |
| Dutch name | Current name | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riv. met het Bosch | Pennefather River | 1606 | For being a river in the bush | -12.2167°N 185°W | Australia's first recorded place name, possibly named after the emblematic "bush". The Dutch word bosch, current spelling bos, did at the time cover meanings from shrub via bush to forest. | |
| Carpentaria | Cape York Peninsula | 1623 ? | Pieter de Carpentier | -14°N 140°W | ||
| Van Speult Rivier | Jardine River | Dutch local governor, Herman van Speult | -10.9167°N 154°W | |||
| Batavia Rivier | Wenlock River | Batavia | -12.05°N 196°W |
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaap Arnhem | 1623 | The ship Arnhem which explored the area. | -12.35°N 194°W | The ship was itself named after the city of Arnhem, Gelderland. | |
| Groote Eylandt | "Big island" | sighted 1623, named 1644 | -14°N 171°W | ||
| Wesel Eilanden | Wessel Islands | 1636 | The ship Klein Wesel or just Wezel, which explored the area.http://www.vocsite.nl/schepen/detail.html?id=11950 | -11.5°N 161°W | The ship was itself named after the city of Wesel, Duchy of Cleves. |
| Crocodils Eijlandt | 1644 | Saltwater crocodiles | -11.8833°N 140°W | ||
| Kaap Van der Lijn | Cape Vanderlin | 1644 | Cornelis van der Lijn, member of the Council of India | -15.5833°N 195°W | Actually the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, the cape name is used for the northern tip of Vanderlin Island |
| Kaap Maria | Maria Island | 1644 | Maria Van Aelst, wife of Anthony van Diemen | -14.8667°N 179°W | An island, not a cape, in the Limmen Bight, now called Maria Island |
| Limmen Bocht | Limmen Bight | 1644 | The ship Limmen, one of the three ships in Tasman's 1644 expedition.http://www.vocsite.nl/schepen/detail.html?id=11734 | -14.8333°N 169°W | The ship was itself named after the town of Limmen, Holland. |
| Van Diemen Baai | Van Diemen Gulf | 1644 | Anthony van Diemen | -12°N 132°W | |
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dirck Hartogs Ree cap. | 1616 | Dirk Hartog | -25.8333°N 118°W | ||
| Dorre Eijlanden | Dorre Island | 1616 | Translates to "arid islands" | -25.05°N 119°W | to the north of Dirk Hartog Island, appears on 1697-1726 map |
| Willems Rivier | Yardie Creek | 1618 | Willem Jansz, captain of the Duyfken | -22.3231°N 113.8122°W | Named by captain Lenaert Jacobsz. Jansz was on board, making this his second visit to Australia.[4] |
| Houtmans Abrolhos | 1619 | Frederick de Houtman, various published explanations for "Abrolhos" | -28.7167°N 160°W | ||
| Rottnest Island | Rat's Nest Island | 12/29/1696 | Quokkas which appeared to be rats, hence 'rat's nest' | -31.9961°N 115.5411°W | Named by [Tom Preston] |
| Zwaanenrivier or Swarte Swaene-Rivier | 1/10/1697 | Black swans | -31.9472°N 115.9161°W | Named by Willem de Vlamingh. The sighting of the swans was a black swan event. | |
| Landt van de Leeuwin | Leeuwin (galleon) | -34.3742°N 115.1358°W | Name used for the land in the south west, now name only used for the cape. The word leeuwin translates as lioness. | ||
| Landt van P. Nuyts | Nullarbor | Pieter Nuyts | -32.3°N 177°W | Nuytsland comprised the entire coast adjoining the Great Australian Bight. The name survives in two smaller, separate areas: Nuytsland Nature Reserve and Nuyts Land District. | |
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landt van P. Nuyts | Nullarbor | 1/16/1627 | Pieter Nuyts | -32°N 132°W | Nuytsland was the given to the coast adjoining the Great Australian Bight. | |
| Eijland St. François | St. Francis Island | 1627 | St. Francis via François Thijssen | -32.5167°N 150°W | ||
| Eijland St. Pieter | St. Peter Island | 1627 | St. Peter via Pieter Pietersen, the head merchant on Thijssen's expedition | -32.2833°N 167°W |
| Dutch name | English translation | Date | Reason for naming | Coords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diemens Land | Van Diemen's Land | 11/24/1642 | Anthony van Diemen | -43.5833°N 167°W | Now known as Tasmania, after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman |
| Wits Eijlanden | De Witt Island | 1642 | Cornelis Jan Witsen, a VOC Commissioner | -43.5833°N 167°W | |
| Sweers eijland | Sweers Island | 1642 | named after Salomon Sweers, member of the Council of India | ||
| Eijland den Maet | Maatsuyker Island | 12/1/1642 | named after Joan Maetsuycker, member of the Council of India | -43.655°N 146.2731°W | |
| Pedra branca | 1642 | "towards noon we passed two rocks of which the westernmost was like Pedra Branca off the coast of China" | -43.85°N 204°W | Name is Portuguese in origin, although named by the Dutch Tasman | |
| Boreels-eiland | Boreel Head | 11/29/1642 | Pieter Boreel, member of the Council of India | -43.2333°N 148°W | Islands now called The Friars, Boreel Head is now the nearby cape on the south of Bruny Island |
| Storm Baij | 1642 | "[Tasman] had almost reached his intended anchorage when a heavy storm arose and he was driven out so far to sea that next morning he could hardly discern the land. It was from this incident that Storm Bay got its name." http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600541h.html | -43.1667°N 180°W | ||
| Tasmans Eijland | Tasman Island | 1642 | -43.2333°N 148°W | ||
| Fredericks Hendricks Baij | Frederick Hendrick Bay | 1642 | -42.85°N 205°W | nearby NE cape on Forestier Peninsula still has the name Cape Frederick Hendrick, not near Frederick Henry Bay which is on the other side of the Tasman Peninsula which he never visited. The bay he called Frederick Henry Bay is now Marion Bay http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600541h.html | |
| Marias Eijlandt | 12/4/1642 | Maria Van Aelst, wife of Anthony Van Diemen | -42.6167°N 153°W | ||
| Schoute Eijlandt | Schouten Island | 12/4/1642 | Justus Schouten, member of the Council of India. | -42.3°N 164°W | |
| Van der Lijns Eijland | Vanderlins Island | 1642 | Cornelis van der Lijn, member of the Council of India | -42.2167°N 166°W | not an island, actually Freycinet Peninsula. https://web.archive.org/web/20081122055049/http://www.wetdawg.com/pages/touring/kayaking_freycinet/index_2_sk.php When Tasman passed it he was heading east; did not see the connection to the mainland in the north. |
Other places were given Dutch names by later explorers or colonists in honour of the Dutch. These include: