DUTCH EXPLORER AND NAVIGATOR
Abel Tasman was born in the Netherlands. Tasman worked for the Dutch East India Company.
Tasman is best known for his voyages from 1642-1644. He is the first European explorer recorded to reach Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania, Australia) and New Zealand and also viewed Tonga and Fiji. Tasman reached Tasmania in 1642 and named it ‘Van Diemen’s Land’ after the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Tasmania was later renamed in his honour. His ship was blown out to sea by a storm and the wind steered him east where he sighted New Zealand which he named ‘Staten Landt’. The boats stopped there to gather water but one of his boats was attacked by the Maori people and four his men were killed. He was unable to claim New Zealand for the Dutch.
On his 1644 voyage he followed the south coast of New Guinea east and mapped the north coast of Australia and called Australia ‘New Holland’ and observed the land and its people. He was disappointed that he couldn’t explore the lands he had discovered and that a different explorer should be chosen for a future expedition. Captain James Cook wouldn’t discover Australia until 1770.
In 1648 he was in charge of an expedition to Manila to loot Spanish ships coming from America, but was unsuccessful.
In 1649, Tasman was charged and found guilty of hanging one of his men without a trial and was suspended from being Office of Commander, was fined and made to pay compensation to the family of the sailor that was killed. He was reinstated to his rank two years later.
He spent the rest of his life in Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia) and was well off financially and was one of the best-off landowners in town. He died in Batavia in 1659 and was survived by his second wife and daughter (from his first wife). His property was divided to his wife and daughter and he left money to the poor people who lived in his village.
