First voyage to Australia Willem Janszoon

19th-century artist impression of ship duyfken in gulf of carpentaria

on 18 november 1605, duyfken sailed bantam coast of western new guinea. after that, janszoon crossed eastern end of arafura sea gulf of carpentaria, without being aware of existence of torres strait. duyfken in torres strait in february 1606, few months before spanish explorer luís vaz de torres sailed through it. on 26 february 1606, janzoon made landfall @ pennefather river on western shore of cape york in queensland, near town of weipa. first recorded european landfall on australian continent. janszoon proceeded chart 320 km of coastline, thought southerly extension of new guinea.

finding land swampy , people inhospitable (ten of men killed on various shore expeditions), janszoon decided return @ place named cape keerweer ( turnabout ), south of albatross bay, , arrived @ bantam in june 1606. called land had discovered nieu zeland , after dutch province of zeeland, name not adopted, , later used dutch cartographers new zealand.

in 1607, admiral cornelis matelieff de jonge sent janzoon ambon , banda. in 1611, janzoon returned netherlands, believing south coast of new guinea joined land along had sailed, , dutch maps reproduced error many years. though there have been suggestions earlier navigators china, france or portugal may have discovered parts of australia earlier, duyfken first european vessel known have done so.