Australian places with Dutch names

The Australian coast known to Dutch explorers until 1627. Note the whole east coast is missing.

There are many Australian places which have Dutch names dating from the 17th century due to the Dutch voyages of exploration along the western, northern and southern Australian coasts. 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 Dutch.

Places named by the Dutch

Northern Territory

Dutch name	English translation	Date	Reason for naming	Coords	Notes
Golf van Carpentaria	Gulf of Carpentaria	1623	named after Pieter de Carpentier, then Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies	13°59′S 139°00′E	Situated between the Northern Territory and Queensland
Kaap Van der Lijn	Cape Vanderlin			15°35′S 136°59′E	Actually the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, the cape name is used for the northern tip of Vanderlin Island
Kaap Van Diemen	Cape Van Diemen			16°31′S 139°42′E	eastern cape of Mornington Island in the Wellesley Islands
C. Maria				14°52′S 135°44′E	An island, not a cape, now called Maria Island
Groote Eylandt	"Big island"	sighted 1623, named 1644		14°00′S 136°35′E
Arnhems Landt	Arnhem Land		The ship Arnhem which explored the area, which was named after the city of Arnhem	13°S 136°E
Krokodillen Eÿlandt	Crocodile Islands		crocodiles	11°53′S 135°05′E
Van Diemen Baai	Van Diemen Gulf		Anthony van Diemen	12°S 132°E

Western Australia

Dutch name	English translation	Date	Reason for naming	Coords	Notes
Dorre Eylanden	Dorre Island			25°03′S 113°06′E	to the north of Dirk Hartog Island, appears on 1697-1726 map
Dirck Hartogs Ree cap.	Dirk Hartog Island		Dirk Hartog	25°50′S 113°05′E
Houtmans Abrolhos	Houtman Abrolhos	1619	Frederick de Houtman, various published explanations for "Abrolhos"	28°43′S 113°47′E
Rottenest Eyland	Rottnest Island	12/29/1696	Quokkas which appeared to be rats, hence 'rat's nest'	31°59′46″S 115°32′28″E	Named by Willem de Vlamingh
Zwaanenrivier or Swarte Swaene-Rivier	Swan River	1/10/1697	Black swans	31°56′50″S 115°54′58″E	Named by Willem de Vlamingh
Landt van de Leeuwin	Cape Leeuwin		Leeuwin (galleon)	34°22′27″S 115°08′09″E	Name used for the land in the south west, now name only used for the cape.
Landt van P. Nuyts	Nuytsland		Pieter Nuyts	32°18′S 125°52′E

South Australia

Dutch name	English translation	Date	Reason for naming	Coords	Notes
Landt van P. Nuyts	Nuytsland	1/16/1627	Pieter Nuyts	32°S 132°E	Nuytsland was the name used for the whole southern coast of Australia along the Great Australian Bight

Tasmania

Dutch name	English translation	Date	Reason for naming	Coords	Notes
Terre de Diemens	Van Diemen's Land	11/24/1642	Anthony van Diemen	43°35′S 146°21′E	Now known as Tasmania, after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman
Wits Eylanden	De Witt Island	1642	Johan de Witt	43°35′S 146°21′E
Sueers eylan	Sweers island	1642	named after Salomon Sweers, member of the Council of India
eylan den Maet	Maatsuyker Island	12/1/1642	named after Joan Maetsuycker, member of the Council of India	43°39′18″S 146°16′23″E
Pedra branca		1642	"towards noon we passed two rocks of which the westernmost was like Pedra Branca off the coast of China"	43°51′S 146°58′E	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°14′S 148°00′E	Islands now called The Friars, Boreel Head is now the nearby cape on the south of Bruny Island
Storm Bay	Storm Bay	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." [1]	43°10′S 147°33′E
Tasmans Eyl	Tasman Island	1642		43°14′S 148°00′E
Fredericks Hendricks Bay	Frederick Hendrick Bay	1642		42°51′S 147°58′E	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 [2]
Marias Eylandt	Maria Island	12/4/1642	Maria Van Aelst, wife of Anthony Van Diemen	42°37′S 148°05′E
Schoute Eylandt	Schouten Island	12/4/1642	Justus Schouten, member of the Council of India.	42°18′S 148°16′E
Vanderlins Eyl	Vanderlins Island	1642	Cornelis van der Lijn, member of the Council of India	42°13′S 148°18′E	not an island, actually Freycinet Peninsula. [3] When Tasman passed it he was heading east; did not see the connection to the mainland in the north.

Places named after the Dutch

Other places were given Dutch names by later explorers or colonists in honour of the Dutch. These include:

• Duyfken Point - 12°34′S 141°35′E near Weipa where Willem Janszoon first sighted the Australian coast in 1606.

• Tasmania - Australian state, along with 31 other places with the name of Tasman in Tasmania

• Zeehan, Tasmania - 41°53′S 145°20′E town and nearby Mount Zeehan, named by George Bass and Matthew Flinders after Abel Tasman's ship Zeehaen. It is near where Tasman first sighted Tasmania.
• Geelvink Channel was named after a ship, but the ship was named after Joan Geelvinck

References

• Project Gutenberg, Abel Tasman's Journal
• Dutch settlers in South Australia
• Project Gutenberg, The Discovery of Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land.), New Zealand, and Bass' Straits.