45-minute lesson
Year 4 History: European voyages to Australia
Lesson objective
- Identify key European voyages to Australia before 1788.
- Sequence these voyages on a timeline.
- Recognise that the land was already home to First Nations peoples when Europeans arrived.
Success criteria:
- I can name at least three Europeans who sailed to Australia before 1788.
- I can put the voyages in order on a timeline.
- I can explain why 'discovered' is not an accurate word for these voyages.
Materials
- A world map or globe
- A long strip of paper for a timeline
- Coloured pencils
Introduction
5 minIntroduce today's words:
- voyage: A long journey, usually by sea.
- explorer: A person who travels to places that are unfamiliar to them or their society.
- navigator: A person who plans and directs the route of a ship.
- first contact: The first meeting between two groups of people who had not met before.
- chart: A map used by sailors, showing coastlines and the sea.
Ask your child what they already know about european voyages to australia.
Explanation
9 minWhen European ships first reached the Australian continent, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had already lived here for tens of thousands of years. Torres Strait Islanders and some Aboriginal communities in the north had also traded with people from New Guinea and, later, with Makassan fishers from what is now Indonesia.
In the 1600s, Dutch ships sailed to the East Indies (now Indonesia) to trade in spices. In 1606, Willem Janszoon in the ship *Duyfken* charted part of the western coast of Cape York. This is the earliest recorded European contact with Australia, and it included a violent encounter with local Aboriginal people.
In 1616, Dirk Hartog landed on an island in Shark Bay, Western Australia, and left an inscribed pewter plate. Many Dutch ships later passed the western coast, and some, like the *Batavia* in 1629, were wrecked there. The Dutch called the land New Holland.
In 1642, Abel Tasman reached the island now called Tasmania, which he named Van Diemen's Land, and then sailed on to New Zealand.
In 1770, the British navigator James Cook, in the *Endeavour*, charted the east coast. He landed at Kamay (Botany Bay) and later claimed the east coast for Britain, even though it was the home of many First Nations peoples who had not agreed.
French expeditions also visited, including La Pérouse, who arrived at Botany Bay in 1788, just days after the First Fleet.
Historians avoid saying Europeans 'discovered' Australia, because people already lived here. It is more accurate to say Europeans charted the coast or made first contact.
Worked examples
7 minBuilding a timeline
Put these voyages in order: Cook (1770), Janszoon (1606), Tasman (1642), Hartog (1616).
Step 1: Look at the years: 1770, 1606, 1642, 1616.
Step 2: Find the smallest number (earliest): 1606.
Step 3: Next is 1616, then 1642, then 1770.
Answer: Janszoon 1606 → Hartog 1616 → Tasman 1642 → Cook 1770.
Calculating time between events
How many years passed between Janszoon's voyage (1606) and Cook's voyage (1770)?
Step 1: Subtract the earlier year from the later year.
Step 2: 1770 − 1606 = 164.
Answer: 164 years.
Guided practice (do together)
9 min1. Who made the earliest recorded European contact with Australia, in 1606?
(a) James Cook (b) Willem Janszoon (c) Abel Tasman (d) Arthur Phillip
2. What did the Dutch call the land they charted?
(a) New Holland (b) New South Wales (c) Terra Australis Incognita only (d) New Zealand
3. What was the name of James Cook's ship in 1770?
(a) Duyfken (b) Batavia (c) Sirius (d) Endeavour
4. Why do historians avoid saying Europeans 'discovered' Australia?
(a) Because the voyages never happened (b) Because First Nations peoples already lived there (c) Because the Dutch arrived by plane (d) Because the maps were wrong
Independent practice
11 min5. Which island did Abel Tasman reach in 1642?
(a) Tasmania (b) Kangaroo Island (c) Fraser Island (K'gari) (d) Rottnest Island
6. In what year did Dirk Hartog land at Shark Bay?
7. How many years passed between Tasman's voyage (1642) and Cook's voyage (1770)?
8. A map used by sailors is called a ____.
Questions to check understanding
- Can you name at least three Europeans who sailed to Australia before 1788?
- Can you put the voyages in order on a timeline?
- Can you explain why 'discovered' is not an accurate word for these voyages?
- What was the trickiest part today?
Answer guide
1. Willem Janszoon — Willem Janszoon charted part of Cape York in 1606 in the Duyfken.
2. New Holland — Dutch sailors called the western part of the continent New Holland.
3. Endeavour — Cook sailed in HMS Endeavour.
4. Because First Nations peoples already lived there — You cannot discover a place where people already live.
5. Tasmania — Tasman reached the island he named Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania.
6. 1616 — Hartog landed in 1616 and left an inscribed pewter plate.
7. 128 — 1770 − 1642 = 128.
8. chart — Sailors use charts that show coastlines and the sea.
Review
4 minRecap the success criteria together. Watch for these common misconceptions:
- Many people believe Cook was the first European to reach Australia. Dutch sailors charted parts of the coast more than 160 years earlier.
- Children may think First Nations peoples had no contact with outsiders before 1606. Torres Strait Islanders traded with New Guinea, and Makassan fishers visited northern Australia (at least from the 1700s) to collect trepang.
- Some think Cook founded a colony. Cook charted the coast; the colony was founded in 1788 by Arthur Phillip.
Extension activities
- Trace the routes of Janszoon, Tasman and Cook on a printed map in different colours.
- Write a short diary entry imagining how a First Nations person on the shore might have seen a strange ship arriving.
- Find out about the Batavia shipwreck off the Western Australian coast in 1629.
Suggested follow-up
- Revisit european voyages to australia tomorrow with two or three quick questions from memory.
- Try the online practice check for this topic and look at any questions that need another go.
Tips for parents
- Use language such as 'arrived', 'charted' or 'first contact' rather than 'discovered'.
- First contact was experienced very differently by First Nations peoples. Look for accounts and perspectives from First Nations sources, such as local land councils, Aboriginal cultural centres or museums that work with communities.
- A globe helps children see how far the Dutch and British ships travelled.