35 Facts About Abel Tasman

Abel Tasman was the first European to reach New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt.

Likely born in 1602 or 1603 in Lutjegast, Netherlands, Abel Tasman started his career as a merchant seaman and became a skilled navigator.

Abel Tasman participated in several voyages, including one to Japan.

In 1642, Abel Tasman was appointed by the VOC to lead an expedition to explore the uncharted regions of the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Abel Tasman's mission was to discover new trade routes and to establish trade relations with the native inhabitants.

Abel Tasman then sailed north east, and was the first European to discover the west coast of New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt.

Abel Tasman returned to Batavia without having made any significant contact with the native inhabitants or establishing any trade relations.

Nonetheless, Abel Tasman's expedition paved the way for further exploration and colonization of Australia and New Zealand by the British.

Abel Tasman continued to serve the Dutch East India Company until his death in 1659, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greatest explorers of his time.

Abel Tasman was likely born in 1602 or 1603 in Lutjegast, a village in the Province of Groningen.

Abel Tasman married Claesgie Heyndrix, with whom he had a daughter named Claesjen.

Uneducated, but employed by the Dutch East India Company, Abel Tasman learned navigation and seamanship on the job.

Abel Tasman sailed from Texel to Batavia, now Jakarta, in 1633 taking the southern Brouwer Route.

Abel Tasman docked to find wood for repairs and was separated from the other ships; a fight broke out with local villagers and at least two of Abel Tasman's men were killed.

Abel Tasman was second-in-command of a 1639 expedition of exploration into the north Pacific under Matthijs Quast.

Abel Tasman got the assistance of the governor Adriaan van der Stel.

Abel Tasman named his discovery Van Diemen's Land, after Antonio van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.

Abel Tasman then tried to work his two ships into Adventure Bay on the east coast of South Bruny Island, but he was blown out to sea by a storm.

Abel Tasman named the bay, Frederick Hendrik Bay, which included the present North Bay, Marion Bay and what is Blackman Bay.

Abel Tasman was on a mission to find the Southern Continent not more islands, so he abruptly turned away to the east and continued his continent-hunting.

Abel Tasman had intended to proceed in a northerly direction but as the wind was unfavourable he steered east.

The expedition endured a rough voyage and in one of his diary entries Abel Tasman claimed that his compass was the only thing that had kept him alive.

Abel Tasman named it Staten Landt "in honour of the States General".

Abel Tasman wrote, "it is possible that this land joins to the Staten Landt but it is uncertain", referring to Isla de los Estados, a landmass of the same name at the southern tip of South America, encountered by the Dutch navigator Jacob Le Maire in 1616.

Abel Tasman charted the eastern tip of Vanua Levu and Cikobia-i-Lau before making his way back into the open sea.

Abel Tasman followed the south coast of New Guinea eastwards in an attempt to find a passage to the eastern side of New Holland.

Abel Tasman mapped the north coast of Australia, making observations on New Holland and its people.

Abel Tasman was in good circumstances, being one of the larger landowners in the town.

Abel Tasman's property was divided between his wife and his daughter.

Abel Tasman's portrait has been on four New Zealand postage stamp issues, on a 1992 5 NZD coin, and on 1963,1966 and 1985 Australian postage stamps.

Abel Tasman's life was dramatised for radio in Early in the Morning a play by Ruth Park.

However, Christie's records indicate that the portrait was not owned by the Springer family or associated with Abel Tasman, and was instead sold as "Portrait of an astronomer" by "Anthonie Palamedes" [sic].

The Abel Tasman map reveals the extent of understanding the Dutch had of the Australian continent at the time.

However, the land areas adjacent to the Torres Strait are shown unexamined; this is despite Abel Tasman having been given orders by VOC Council at Batavia to explore the possibility of a channel between New Guinea and the Australian continent.

The authorship of the map has been debated: while the map is commonly attributed to Abel Tasman, it is thought to have been the result of a collaboration, probably involving Franchoijs Visscher and Isaack Gilsemans, who took part in both of Abel Tasman's voyages.