Abel Tasman (Explorer and Seafarer)

Profession: Explorer and Seafarer

Biography: Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch explorer renowned for his voyages in 1642 and 1644 under the aegis of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Born in 1603 in the Netherlands, he became a notable navigator and contributed to the exploration of the Southern Pacific, discovering regions such as Tasmania and New Zealand.

Tasman's seafaring career commenced with work as a merchant seaman, after which he joined the VOC and voyaged to Batavia (present-day Jakarta). His navigational expertise grew as he traveled to Japan and explored parts of Asia.

The VOC later entrust him with a mission in 1642 to seek new trade opportunities and undiscovered lands in the Southern Pacific. It was during this voyage that he encountered Tasmania, naming it Van Diemen's Land, and the west coast of New Zealand, which he initially called Staten Landt, but it was subsequently renamed Nieuw Zeeland.

In New Zealand, Tasman's interaction with the indigenous Māori people was marred by violence leading to the death of several crew members, which thwarted efforts to establish trade. Nonetheless, he returned to Batavia and resumed his duties with the VOC until he passed away in 1659. His exploratory work laid the groundwork for later British colonization of Australia and New Zealand.

Tasman's 1642 expedition began when the Council of the Indies in Batavia commissioned him. Departing with the ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen, he first sailed to Mauritius before venturing eastward and landing in Tasmania in November of that year. After claiming the territory for the Netherlands, Tasman continued to chart the Tasmanian and New Zealand coasts where the unfortunate clashes with the Māori unfolded.

On his journey back in 1643, Tasman charted the Tongan archipelago and navigated around Fiji's reefs. In 1644, during his second significant voyage, Tasman sought a passage to the east of New Holland (Australia) but instead ended up mapping portions of the northern Australian coastline, having missed the Torres Strait. The VOC deemed his voyages unsuccessful for failing to discover new trading opportunities or navigational routes.

Toward the end of his life, Tasman held several positions within the VOC and served on the Council of Justice in Batavia. He died in Batavia in 1659, survived by his wife and daughter. Although his journal was published posthumously, Tasman's maps held significant value for subsequent explorers.

Tasman's legacy is honored in place names like the state of Tasmania, the Tasman Sea, and Abel Tasman National Park.

Born: 1603
Birthplace: Lutjegast, Netherlands

Died: October 10, 1659

Historical Events

• 1639-06-02 Secret Dutch expedition to find the Gold and Silver Islands departs Batavia, led by Mathijs Hendrikszoon Quast and Abel Tasman, thought to lie east of Japan, never found
• 1642-11-24 Dutch explorer Abel Tasman is the first European to discover Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
• 1642-12-13 Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights the South Island of present day New Zealand; initially he calls it Staten Landt and changes it a year later to Nieuw Zeeland
• 1642-12-18 Abel Tasman's expedition is the first European voyage to reach New Zealand sailing into Wharewharangi Bay at the top of the South Island, making the first confirmed contact with Maori
• 1642-12-19 4 of Abel Tasman's crew killed at Wharewharangi (Murderers) Bay by Māori; Tasman's ships depart without landing
• 1644-02-29 Abel Tasman sets out on his second exploratory expedition for the VOC to the southern Pacific from Banda, in the Moluccas, with three ships (will chart northern coast of New Holland / Australia)

References

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