400 years Netherlands-Australia: Explorers: Voyages: The Geelvink (1696)

Journal of Willem de Vlamingh's voyage on the Geelvink, with coastal maps of Tristan da Cunha and Nagtglas Island, 1696.

The Geelvink (1696)

Abel Tasman’s findings were soon incorporated into Dutch charts, and interest in the South Land faded. After 1644, the VOC was satisfied with knowledge acquired from chance encounters and landings on the west coast of Australia.

The last large-scale VOC voyage of exploration was led by Willem de Vlamingh in 1696-1697. It was prompted by the loss of the Ridderschap van Holland, which the VOC directors thought might have gone aground on the Australian coast. Apart from looking for the lost vessel, De Vlamingh was instructed to explore the island of Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean and the west coast of New Holland.

Nicolaas Witsen, burgomaster of Amsterdam, scientist, and director of the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC, was the driving force in the preparations for this voyage. He knew De Vlamingh from his voyages and cartographic work in the Arctic Ocean, which must have smoothed De Vlamingh’s path in getting the appointment.

Specially built for the expedition, De Vlamingh’s flagship was named the Geelvink after one of the VOC directors and was accompanied by two smaller vessels, the Nijptang and the Wezeltje. A notable member of the ship’s company was Victor Victorsz., who was listed as surgeon’s assistant but who was aboard mainly because of his talents as an artist. Soon after the voyage his watercolours – of Tristan da Cunha and New Holland – were lost, only to be rediscovered in 1970. They are now in the Maritime Museum, Rotterdam.

The flotilla set sail on 3 May 1696, and reached Tristan da Cunha on 17 August, sighting New Holland for the first time at the end of December. On 29 December an island appeared in view. When members of the crew landed, they found numerous animals described in the Nijptang’s log as ‘forest rats’, ‘a type of rat as big as an ordinary cat’. In fact, these were wallabies, then completely unknown in Europe. The island was given the name ‘Rottennest’ or rats’ nest.

In the month that followed several expeditions were sent inland to explore the mainland. On 30 January 1697 De Vlamingh sighted another island, which he took to be Dirk Hartogs’ island. A remarkable discovery – a pewter plate with inscription – confirmed this assumption. De Vlamingh took Hartogs’ plate with him and left another in its place. On 21 February the ships headed for Batavia, where they arrived safely after a voyage lasting nearly 11 months.

Initially, Burgomaster Witsen was extremely displeased with the results of this expedition. All he got was Dirk Hartogs’ plate, some shells, timber samples, and a chart. The barren land had yielded nothing in the way of riches or resources. In a letter, Witsen wrote that De Vlamingh had not followed instructions and had stayed no longer than three days in any one place. (This was not true.) Instead, wrote Witsen, he had ‘to my sorrow spent his time at the Cape in parties and jollification’. Later, Witsen changed his mind and viewed the expedition in a more favourable light. True, no trace of the Ridderschap van Holland or its crew had been found, but the voyage was undoubtedly a success in nautical terms.

De Vlamingh’s precise observations and a fine coastal map of New Holland enabled Isaac de Graaff, cartographer to the Amsterdam Chamber, to make a complete, detailed chart of the East Indies archipelago and the South Land. Moreover, De Vlamingh’s explorations in the interior proved once and for all that the Company could not expect to make a profit from the west coast of Australia.

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	Journal of Willem de Vlamingh's voyage on the Geelvink, with coastal maps of Tristan da Cunha and Nagtglas Island, 1696. The Geelvink (1696) Abel Tasman’s findings were soon incorporated into Dutch charts, and interest in the South Land faded. After 1644, the VOC was satisfied with knowledge acquired from chance encounters and landings on the west coast of Australia. The last large-scale VOC voyage of exploration was led by Willem de Vlamingh in 1696-1697. It was prompted by the loss of the Ridderschap van Holland, which the VOC directors thought might have gone aground on the Australian coast. Apart from looking for the lost vessel, De Vlamingh was instructed to explore the island of Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean and the west coast of New Holland. Nicolaas Witsen, burgomaster of Amsterdam, scientist, and director of the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC, was the driving force in the preparations for this voyage. He knew De Vlamingh from his voyages and cartographic work in the Arctic Ocean, which must have smoothed De Vlamingh’s path in getting the appointment. Specially built for the expedition, De Vlamingh’s flagship was named the Geelvink after one of the VOC directors and was accompanied by two smaller vessels, the Nijptang and the Wezeltje. A notable member of the ship’s company was Victor Victorsz., who was listed as surgeon’s assistant but who was aboard mainly because of his talents as an artist. Soon after the voyage his watercolours – of Tristan da Cunha and New Holland – were lost, only to be rediscovered in 1970. They are now in the Maritime Museum, Rotterdam. The flotilla set sail on 3 May 1696, and reached Tristan da Cunha on 17 August, sighting New Holland for the first time at the end of December. On 29 December an island appeared in view. When members of the crew landed, they found numerous animals described in the Nijptang’s log as ‘forest rats’, ‘a type of rat as big as an ordinary cat’. In fact, these were wallabies, then completely unknown in Europe. The island was given the name ‘Rottennest’ or rats’ nest. In the month that followed several expeditions were sent inland to explore the mainland. On 30 January 1697 De Vlamingh sighted another island, which he took to be Dirk Hartogs’ island. A remarkable discovery – a pewter plate with inscription – confirmed this assumption. De Vlamingh took Hartogs’ plate with him and left another in its place. On 21 February the ships headed for Batavia, where they arrived safely after a voyage lasting nearly 11 months. Initially, Burgomaster Witsen was extremely displeased with the results of this expedition. All he got was Dirk Hartogs’ plate, some shells, timber samples, and a chart. The barren land had yielded nothing in the way of riches or resources. In a letter, Witsen wrote that De Vlamingh had not followed instructions and had stayed no longer than three days in any one place. (This was not true.) Instead, wrote Witsen, he had ‘to my sorrow spent his time at the Cape in parties and jollification’. Later, Witsen changed his mind and viewed the expedition in a more favourable light. True, no trace of the Ridderschap van Holland or its crew had been found, but the voyage was undoubtedly a success in nautical terms. De Vlamingh’s precise observations and a fine coastal map of New Holland enabled Isaac de Graaff, cartographer to the Amsterdam Chamber, to make a complete, detailed chart of the East Indies archipelago and the South Land. Moreover, De Vlamingh’s explorations in the interior proved once and for all that the Company could not expect to make a profit from the west coast of Australia.



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