List of place names of Dutch origin in Australia

Of an estimated 200 place names the Dutch bestowed on Australian localities in the 17th century as a result of the Dutch voyages of exploration along the western, northern and southern Australian coasts, only about 35 can still be found on current maps. Five out of six names were either renamed or forgotten or their locations were lost.Jan Tent, Geographic and Linguistic Reflections on Moent and Dubbelde Ree: Two of Australia’s First Recorded Placenames , Geographical Research 44(4):372–385 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 English and Nieuw Holland by the Dutch.

Places named by the Dutch

Queensland The Dutch charted the western side of Cape York Peninsula and the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Willem Janszoon made the first recorded European landfall in Australia during the Janszoon voyage of 1605-6. Dutch nameEnglish translationDate Reason for namingCoords Notes Kaap Keerweer Cape Keerweer 1606 Meaning 'Cape Return'in English, the point where the Duijfken turned North . See also the record of Captain John Saris, English East India Company, 15 June 1606, who met Janszoon on his return journey. It mentions the actual words "to return", while ' in English 'Ik keer weer' means 'I return' See: https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/janszoon-maps-northern-australian-coast. Saris written report includes: "...there were nine of them killed … so they were constrained to returne, finding no good to be done there".Golf van CarpentariaGulf of Carpentaria1623Pieter de Carpentier, then Governor-General of the Dutch East IndiesSituated between the Northern Territory and Queensland Coen RivierCoen River1623Jan Pieterszoon Coen, previous Governor-General of the Dutch East IndiesRenamed to Archer River, while its southern tributary (the "South Coen River") retained its name Staaten Rivier Staaten River1623 Like Staten Island after the Staten-GeneraalNassau RivierNassau River1644 Maurice of Nassau, Prince of OrangeVan Diemens BaaiVan Diemen Inlet 1644Anthony van Diemen, then Governor-General of the Dutch East IndiesKaap Van DiemenCape Van Diemen 1644Anthony van Diemeneastern cape of Mornington Island in the Wellesley Islands

Renamed Dutch nameCurrent nameDate Reason for namingCoords NotesRiv. met het BoschPennefather River 1606For being a river in the bush Australia's first recorded place name, possibly named after the emblematic "bush". The Dutch word bosch, current spelling bos, did at the time cover meanings from shrub via bush to forest.CarpentariaCape York Peninsula 1623 ?Pieter de CarpentierVan Speult Rivier Jardine RiverDutch local governor, Herman van SpeultBatavia RivierWenlock RiverBatavia

Northern Territory Dutch nameEnglish translationDate Reason for namingCoords NotesKaap Arnhem Cape Arnhem and Arnhem Land 1623The ship Arnhem which explored the area. The ship was itself named after the city of Arnhem, Gelderland.Groote Eylandt"Big island"sighted 1623, named 1644Wesel EilandenWessel Islands 1636The ship Klein Wesel or just Wezel, which explored the area. The ship was itself named after the city of Wesel, Duchy of Cleves.Crocodils EijlandtCrocodile Islands 1644Saltwater crocodilesKaap Van der LijnCape Vanderlin 1644Cornelis van der Lijn, member of the Council of IndiaActually the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, the cape name is used for the northern tip of Vanderlin Island Kaap Maria Maria Island 1644 Maria Van Aelst, wife of Anthony van DiemenAn island, not a cape, in the Limmen Bight, now called Maria Island Limmen Bocht Limmen Bight 1644 The ship Limmen, one of the three ships in Tasman's 1644 expedition. The ship was itself named after the town of Limmen, Holland. Van Diemen BaaiVan Diemen Gulf 1644Anthony van Diemen

Western Australia

Dutch nameEnglish translationDate Reason for namingCoords NotesDirck Hartogs Ree cap.Dirk Hartog Island 1616Dirk HartogDorre EijlandenDorre Island 1616 Translates to "arid islands"to the north of Dirk Hartog Island, appears on 1697-1726 map Willems Rivier Yardie Creek 1618 Willem Jansz, captain of the Duyfken Named by captain Lenaert Jacobsz. Jansz was on board, making this his second visit to Australia.The AOTM Landings List 1606 – 1814 Houtmans AbrolhosHoutman Abrolhos 1619Frederick de Houtman, various published explanations for "Abrolhos"Rottnest IslandRat's Nest Island12/29/1696Quokkas which appeared to be rats, hence 'rat's nest'Named by [Tom Preston]Zwaanenrivier or Swarte Swaene-RivierSwan River 1/10/1697Black swansNamed by Willem de Vlamingh. The sighting of the swans was a black swan event.Landt van de LeeuwinCape Leeuwin Leeuwin (galleon)Name used for the land in the south west, now name only used for the cape. The word leeuwin translates as lioness.Landt van P. NuytsNullarborPieter NuytsNuytsland comprised the entire coast adjoining the Great Australian Bight. The name survives in two smaller, separate areas: Nuytsland Nature Reserve and Nuyts Land District.

South Australia

Dutch nameEnglish translationDate Reason for namingCoords NotesLandt van P. NuytsNullarbor1/16/1627Pieter NuytsNuytsland was the given to the coast adjoining the Great Australian Bight. Eijland St. FrançoisSt. Francis Island1627St. Francis via François ThijssenEijland St. PieterSt. Peter Island1627St. Peter via Pieter Pietersen, the head merchant on Thijssen's expedition

Tasmania

Dutch nameEnglish translationDate Reason for namingCoords NotesDiemens LandVan Diemen's Land11/24/1642Anthony van Diemen Now known as Tasmania, after Dutch explorer Abel TasmanWits EijlandenDe Witt Island1642Cornelis Jan Witsen, a VOC CommissionerSweers eijlandSweers Island 1642named after Salomon Sweers, member of the Council of IndiaEijland den MaetMaatsuyker Island12/1/1642named after Joan Maetsuycker, member of the Council of IndiaPedra branca1642"towards noon we passed two rocks of which the westernmost was like Pedra Branca off the coast of China"Name is Portuguese in origin, although named by the Dutch TasmanBoreels-eilandBoreel Head11/29/1642Pieter Boreel, member of the Council of IndiaIslands now called The Friars, Boreel Head is now the nearby cape on the south of Bruny IslandStorm BaijStorm 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." Tasmans EijlandTasman Island1642Fredericks Hendricks BaijFrederick Hendrick Bay1642 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 Marias EijlandtMaria Island 12/4/1642Maria Van Aelst, wife of Anthony Van DiemenSchoute EijlandtSchouten Island12/4/1642Justus Schouten, member of the Council of India.Van der Lijns EijlandVanderlins Island1642Cornelis van der Lijn, member of the Council of Indianot an island, actually Freycinet Peninsula. 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 - 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 Mount Heemskirk and Mount Zeehan - named by George Bass and Matthew Flinders after Abel Tasman's ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen in 1798. It is near where Tasman first sighted Tasmania. The township of Zeehan, Tasmania near Mount Zeehan was established after the discovery of tin, lead and silver deposits in 1890. Geelvink Channel was named after a ship, but the ship was named after Joan Geelvinck Vansittart Bay on the coast of Western Australia is a unique anomaly. It was named by Phillip Parker King after Nicholas Vansittart, who was an English politician of Dutch descent.

See also List of place names of Dutch origin First Dutch Expedition to Indonesia Second Dutch Expedition to Indonesia Dutch East India Company in Indonesia European exploration of Australia New Holland (Australia) Janszoon voyage of 1606 Voyage of the Pera and Arnhem to Australia in 1623 History of the Northern Territory History of Western Australia History of South Australia History of Tasmania

References

Sources 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.