TEACHERS’ NOTES PUTTING AUSTRALIA ON THE MAP Synopsis Australia is a big place. It covers 7.7 million square Specifications Author Carole Wilkinson kilometres and has approximately 35,000 kilometres of ISBN 9781742035932 coastline. You would think it would be easy to find, yet it Format 297mm x 210mm stayed hidden from everyone but its First Nations People for Extent 32p + cover a very long time. Binding Hardback Reading level 8+ Australia’s coastline was discovered piece by piece. Mapping Interest level 8+ the coastline was a task that took hundreds of years. Putting Category Junior Non-Fiction Australia On the Map explains how Australia was mapped and explores the many hit-and-miss expeditions that finally Example spreads taken from the book pieced together the puzzle. The First Piece of the Puzzle THE COUNTRY we call the in a VOC ship called the Duyfken recorded Europeans to set foot on Netherlands began as a small group to explore the coast of New Guinea Australia. They just didn’t know it. of provinces in western Europe for trade opportunities. He sailed Janzoon and his crew were also ruled by Spain. By 1606, it was a along its southern coast, passing the first Europeans to encounter new republic that wanted a share what he thought was a large bay Australia’s First Nations People, 12 of the spice trade. littered with reefs and small islands. who fiercely defended their ___ The Netherlands didn’t have a It wasn’t. It was a strait — the same country. There were deaths on 13 rich king like the Spanish and one Torres would sail through a few both sides. Portuguese to pay for voyages of months later. Janszoon believed Janszoon drew a chart of more exploration, so Dutch merchants that the next stretch of land he saw than 300 km of Cape York coast. joined forces. They formed the was a continuation of the coast of It was the first small piece of Writing style Vereenigde Oost-Indische New Guinea. But the Duyfken was Australia to be put on any map. Compagnie (United East India actually sailing along the western Company), known as the VOC coast of Cape York. for short. Janzoon and his crew went Captain Willem Janszoon set out ashore, and became the first Putting Australia On the Map has been written and OPPOSITE: Dutch map of the Pacific Ocean, 1622, with the first small piece of Australia on a map. It is labelled Nueva Guinea — New Guinea. designed with the needs of both early and more advanced Island or Mainland? readers in mind. The simple language, direct writing style IN 1642, the governor of the VOC, copper; precious stones, pearls, would be 200 years before this Anthony van Diemen, vegetables and fruits. Sailors were place he had discovered would be commissioned a major Dutch told to observe the Indigenous named after him — Tasmania. exploration to learn about the people for clues. Were they wearing Tasman was a great seaman, but a mysterious Known South Land. ornaments of gold and silver? rather timid explorer. He and his Was it attached to the Unknown Abel Janszoon Tasman was crew were all fearful of the 18 and examples of early cartography combine to create a ___ South Land or New Guinea? Was commander of the voyage. Sailing inhabitants of Van Diemen’s Land. there a sea route around it that led further south than other mariners, Perhaps because the VOC’s 19 to the Pacific Ocean? And of he didn’t see the west or the south instructions told them to look out course he wanted to know if there coast of Australia. The first land he for the “fierce savages” that were were natural resources that could came to he named Anthony van known to live in southern regions. fascinating explanation of why Europeans searched for be sold to the world. The VOC had Diemen’s Land, after his sponsor. a list of things they were looking for He didn’t know whether it was an — gold, silver, tin, iron, lead and island or joined to the mainland. It OPPOSITE: 1663 French map including Tasman’s discoveries, which suggests New Guinea, and mapped Australia – a land that had been inhabited Van Diemen’s Land and New Zealand could all be part of New Holland. for over 60,000 years. The vibrant maps, whose styles and A Corner of a Continent information change throughout the book, add another IN 1606, Dirk Hartog was the first In 1628, the VOC’s chief about what to call them. The Dutch navigator to unintentionally cartographer, Hessel Gerritsz, sensible Dutch came up with a reach the west coast of Australia, pieced together bits of the coast solution. They called the place on board the Eendracht. He charted by eight Dutch their navigators had actually anchored in Shark Bay 700 km navigators. He’d created the first discovered the Known South Land. north of Perth and rowed to a small map of Australia, not to help The mythical world of gold and 16 opportunity for learning and developing literacy skills. ___ island carrying a pewter dinner sailors find it, but so they could spices, which they still hoped to 17 plate from the ship’s galley. The avoid its treacherous coasts. find, they called the Unknown plate, engraved with an account of The VOC tried to keep the South Land. their landing, was nailed to a post. chart hidden from rival Hartog gave Australia its first name companies, but it wasn’t long — Eendrachtsland. The name before this coast appeared on never caught on. maps of the world. More Dutch sailors reached the The newly discovered land was OPPOSITE: Chart of Dutch sailors’ treacherous shores of Australia, now vying for space with the discoveries of western and southern charting stretches of the western imagined land around the bottom Australia between 1616 and 1628, drawn by and southern coasts. of the world. There was confusion VOC chief cartographer Hessel Gerritsz. Photographic style Putting Australia On the Map is designed to evoke the British Colonisation MANY NAVIGATORS had but despite marking their landings helped to chart Australia’s with plaques and flags, the Dutch period in history that the book explores. Each carefully coastline. The puzzle pieces were had never made a formal claim on all in place. The map was more or any part of Australia. less complete. But with its lack of On 26 January 1788, Australia’s 28 water and trade goods, no nation first European citizens arrived ___ had thought it was worth — more than 700 unwanted 29 colonising. convicts. chosen image, whether a map, portrait or painting of a British prisons were overflowing. Sir Joseph Banks suggested that New South Wales would be the perfect place for a convict OPPOSITE: Cook’s Possession Ceremony, settlement. There was concern that as imagined in the Sydney Illustrated historical event, will captivate the reader and inspire further the Netherlands had claim to it, News, 1865. discussion on many cross-curriculum areas. Readers can explore how the images convey meaning and examine what Flinders Finishes the Map ACCURATE CHARTING of the after Tasman first discovered it, coast of Australia was put on hold these two young men finally proved until a young Englishman named it was an island. the images reveal about the era. Matthew Flinders came along. He In 1801, Flinders returned to New wanted to sail the oceans and add South Wales in command of the to the knowledge of the world. Investigator, on a voyage to explore 30 ___ Flinders’ first voyage to the the coastline in detail. He charted 31 colony of New South Wales was as the final section of the southern a midshipman on the Reliance in coast and circumnavigated the 1795. When on leave from his continent, correcting errors on ABOVE: Portrait of Captain Matthew duties, he and his friend George previous charts. Flinders, by Toussaint Antoine Bass borrowed a small ship and Australia was finally on the world de Chazal. sailed all the way around Van map — all of it. OPPOSITE: Matthew Flinders’ General Diemen’s Land. Almost 150 years Chart of Terra Australis, or Australia, first published in 1814. 2 PUTTING AUSTRALIA ON THE MAP Study notes: Themes • Descriptive words • Natural landforms • Cartography / mapping • Oceans • History • Culture • Exploration • Global superpowers of the past • Geography • Gradual mapping of Australia • Natural geography • Accidental versus intended discovery • Natural resources • Filling in the gaps with imagination Curriculum link: Literacy Before reading Putting Australia On the Map: • Before looking at the cover, ask the students to try and draw a map of Australia from memory. • Discuss the word continent. What is it? Brainstorm everything students know about continents. • Introduce, or confirm, that Australia is a continent. Show students the book’s cover and discuss their response to it. • Read the blurb and ask students why it took so long for Australia to be mapped. • Create a list that the class comes up with of their ideas and any questions that arise. After reading the book, recheck the list. While reading Putting Australia On the Map: • Before reading, give each student a few sticky notes. Ask students to note any words, questions or wonderings they hear or have that they’d like to share or ask. These can be collated and displayed on a noticeboard or poster. Their questions, lists and wonderings are an opportunity to assess current knowledge and will provide direction for discussions, investigations or presentations. • Ask the students to take turns reading a paragraph aloud to the rest of the class. Where appropriate, ask the students what they think certain words may mean.