Abel Tasman

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Abel Tasman
Born	1603 Groningen Holland
Died	October 10 1659 Batavia
Job	Sailor, Explorer, Merchant

Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603 - 1659) was a Dutch sea explorer. On voyages in 1642 and 1644, in the service of the VOC (Dutch East India Company) he discovered Tasmania and New Zealand. He also discovered large parts of Australia.

He was born in Groningen, Holland. He went to Batavia (now called Jakarta) to work for the VOC in 1633. He went back to Holland in 1636. He went back to Batavia with his wife, Jannetie Tjaerss, 2 years later. He went north to Japan in 1640. In 1642 Tasman went south to Palembang.^[1].

[change] Tasmania and New Zealand 1642-3

Tasman set sail from Batavia with the ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen on August 14, 1642. He was told to search for New Holland. He was hoping to find gold, silver and other riches. On November 24, 1642 he discovered the west coast of Tasmania which he called Van Diemen's Land. He named it after Anthony Van Diemen, Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. Tasman sailed around to the east coast of Van Diemen's Land and claimed the land for the Dutch on December 3, 1642. The ships then sailed west and discovered New Zealand. His ships were attacked by Maoris in large war canoes (boats) and 4 sailors died. Tasman then sailed north east to Tonga and Fiji. He then sailed north west to New Guinea and got back to Batavia in June 1643.

[change] Northern Australia 1644

In 1644 Tasman sailed from Batavia with the ships Limmen, Zeemeeuw and Bracq. He sailed along the west coast of New Guinea, and then the coast of Australia from Cape York to North West Cape. He went back to Batavia in August 1644. He showed that Western Australia and Queensland were part of the same country. He was not able to get through Torres Strait, but his maps were used for the next 200 years.

Tasman made more trips including to Sumatra in 1646, Siam in 1647, and Manila in 1648. He purchased a lot of land in Batavia where he died in October 1659.

Several places have been named after him, including Tasmania, the Tasman Peninsula, Tasman Island and the Tasman Sea.

[change] References

• Tasman discovered Tasmania and New Zealand.