[Jan Hendrik]

Replica of the vessel which discovered Australia in 1606.
This replica was built at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle and after completion and a lot of admiration, then this vessel copied the original discovery tour.
Next time I like to provide some photos of her during the construction, thereafter voyages to Sydney/Jakarta/CapeTown/Tessel/Rotterdam/Hoorn etc.
This has been a massive project taking several years due to a vast historical evaluation of how she was built and traditional methods were then to be used e.g. to curve the planks over fire etc.
She finally ended up back where she belongs, the beautiful city of Fremantle.

There are a variety of internet sites about this vessel, so in case you are interested then I suggest the original website as follows:

http://www.duyfken.com/

My company (where I worked for) also provided a sponsorship like so many others and I, myself was very much involved with the construction, attended the launch in Fremantle and visited her in various places with ultimately a grand dinner for the crew and my colleagues of the Netherlands in Hoorn.

These photos were taken in 2004 when she was berthed near the Kailis jetty in Fremantle with Kailis being the biggest sponsor.

 

[Jan Hendrik]

This vessel is currently touring Australia and expects to arrive in Port Fairy/Geelong/Williamstown/Melbourne Docklands during the period 18th June till 6th July (Docklands 23rd onwards).
The event is part of the celebrations of 400 years discovery.

Anybody wanting more info can send me a PM as I am involved with the organising Committee.

This particular photo was taken when she sailed towards Hoorn - Netherlands in May 2002.

 

[Jan Hendrik]

Berthed in Port Fairy, Vic (abt 4 hr drive from Melbourne) Photos: June 2006

 

[Jan Hendrik]

Arrived at Docklands, Melbourne today.

The last photo she is shown together with the tall ship Enterprize

 

[Geoff Garrett]

and I always thought it was the Spaniard, Torres who was the first European to discover Australia?

 

[Jan Hendrik]

It was Willem Janszoon with the Duyfken. Several other Dutch seafarers came after him.
A famous wreck of 1628 which was partly recovered off the West Coast was the "Batavia" and 80 percent of the Fremantle Museum is built around this event.
The replica of the Duyfken cir***navigates Australia at the moment calling on 25 ports to commemorate its discovery of 400 years ago by Europeans.

Some 170 years later there was a certain Mr Cook who landed at Botany Bay, he planted a flag and was the start of colonalisation.
Such is history.
Jan

 

[billyboy]

Interesting bit on TV recently. traced the steps of Africans through Asia to australia. settled in the northern territorys. could this have been the start of the Aborigenies!
Not much of a history man me.

 

[Jan Hendrik]

Some claims are made that the aborigines made their cups of tea in the bush some 40-60.000 years ago. Pick the date.......hard to tell.

 

[Geoff Garrett]

Is there a Barrier Reef pilot out there who could give us some information regarding Spanish discoveries of Australia made from the East? I had their keyring (presento to all Capts. under their pilotage) and inscribed upon it was a caravel and the motto "Torres, San Pedrico(??) 15??". I would dearly love to prove a Dutchman wrong! Assuming such a thing is possible of course.

 

[Jan Hendrik]

Hi Geoff,
I do not know whom you mean with the Dutchman here, either Jan Willemsz who discovered OZ in 1606 or myself.
As far as the first one is concerned we cannot have a dialogue anymore and concerning the latter, then I can only tell you that I go by local history and it has been widely accepted that the date of 1606 is correct.
There has been some ongoing talk about a Portuguese mahogany vessel in the 16th century.
It is a legend with no proof.
Quite substantial proof has been provided for the Duyfken and of course all the other wrecks they found going back to the early 17th century.
Anyway the Aussies find the "discoveries" of Foster beer and the bbq a lot more interesting than the above story. They even start liking the soccer these days.......
Cheers
Jan (Pint)

 

[dave beaumont]

went and had alook at Duyfken today Jan. So small. Makes you wonder how they ever made those sea voyages in those days.Not even any sleeping quarters for the crew!!

 

[ruud]

and I always thought it was the Spaniard, Torres who was the first European to discover Australia?

Ahoy Geoff,
Here some historical stuff:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Janszoon

 

[trotterdotpom]

Holland 1 New Zealand 0

Just been reading the same stuff, Ruud. Willem Janszoon pipped Luis Vaez de Torres at the post, passing through what later became known as Torres Strait in March 1606, a few weeks before Torres (and that's no Bull!).

By the way, Torres was Portuguese, not Spanish, and he found the Strait when heading west from South America. He didn't land in Australia, although he may have sighted Cape York, but headed north and ended his days in Manila - typical sailor, it must have been a good spot even in those days!

Willem got a hostile reception in Australia (this was long before the arrival of Guus Hiddinck, the master Dutch football coach) and headed back to Batavia where he founded the Radio Bar in Tan Jong Priok and lived happily ever after.

Incidentally, Captain Ken Crompton of the Torres Strait Pilots wrote several learned papers and even appeared on a TV do***entary, explaining why it was impossible for the Portuguese caravels to sail northwards up the Australian east coast. This was due to a design fault in the rigging of the sails which even after the expenditure of 200 beermats I couldn't understand, but he sure knew what he was talking about! I mention this to fend off anyone debunking the achievements of the great Yorkshire seafarer, James Cook.

John T.

 

[Geoff Garrett]

OK, well I'm going to go along with the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, "although there have been many suggestions that earlier navigators from China, France and Portugal ..... discovered Australia first". And Trotterdotpom, whose bl**dy side are you on???