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The first people came from Indonesia to Australia 60.000 years ago. Not before 1606 something important happened. Then the Dutchman William Jansz, who was the first European on Australian ground, arrived at the west-coast of Cape York. Australia was called "New Holland" now. In 1642 Abel Tasman, who was a Dutchman, too, discovered another island beside Australia. It was called Tasmania. One year later he sailed around Australia, but he didn't want to settle there. The discoverers thought, it was a hostile and barren area. Engaged by the English King George III the sailor Captain Cook took possession of the eastern part of Australia. | |||
