Willem Janszoon Willem Janszoon (also known as Willem Jansz or Janssen) was a Dutch explorer, born in about 1570. He is best known for being the first European to set foot on Australian soil. Not much is known about Janszoon’s early life and education. Janszoon is believed to have grown up in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He became a navy cadet at the age of 16. The training he received in the navy gave him the skills to become an expert navigator. It also gave him some of the skills he needed to later become a governor in several of the Netherlands’ colonies. Janszoon was a member of several crews that sailed the dangerous journey from the Netherlands to Indonesia. The islands of Indonesia wereSample then pages known to Europeans as the Dutch East Indies. Janszoon’s first journey to the Dutch East Indies took place in 1598. Portrait of Willem Janszoon 6 M01_EP04_REA_7653_NF1.indd 6 6/09/13 4:40 PM Janszoon’s first known voyage as a captain took place in 1603. His fleet sailed from the Netherlands to Indonesia and he captained a yacht called the Duyfken (meaning ‘Little Dove’). Janszoon was soon sent on missions to other countries in the region, including New Guinea. The Duyfken was very well named. Compared to many ships on the seas, it was a tiny ship for such big journeys. The Duyfken was a pinnace – a type of ship that had three masts. It was built for speed. It measured about 20 metres from stem to stern (front to back). Its small size meant that it could sail in shallow waters, only needing about 2.5 metres of water to stay afloat. TheDuyfken was designed to carry a small amount of cargo. It only had space for a crew of twenty sailors. Sample pages Replica of the Duyfken, the ship that was captained by Willem Janszoon 7 M01_EP04_REA_7653_NF1.indd 7 6/09/13 4:40 PM.