From the early 19th century, Dutch explorers have been commemorated. Matthew Flinders named places and regions such as Arnhem Land after Dutch navigators or their ships. The Perth suburb Cottesloe had erected a memorial on De Vlamingh's proposed landing place by 1974.

In recent years these Dutch-Australian maritime links have been celebrated by both countries with public events. Between December 1996 and February 1997 tricentennial celebrations were held in Western Australia to commemorate de Vlamingh's voyage along the Western Australian coast. The celebration included re-enactments of the Vlamingh's landing on Rottnest Island and the Swan River and the erection of a monument, unveiled by His Royal Highness Prince Willem Alexander, crown prince of the Netherlands. From 7 to 9 January 1997 the Western Australian Maritime Museum hosted the ANCODS colloquium in Fremantle, which was attended by Dutch and Australian researchers.

In 1985 a group of shipbuilding and history enthusiasts started building a replica of the VOC ship Batavia in Lelystad, the Netherlands, using its original dimensions and materials. The ship was christened Batavia by the Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1995 and left her dockyard in 2000 to be moored in Darling Harbour as part of the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney during the Sydney Olympics.

Between 1997 and 1999, another VOC ship replica was built, namely Duyfken, but in Fremantle, Western Australia, this time. In 2002, she sailed from Sydney to the Netherlands retracing a homebound VOC voyage via Jakarta, Sri Lanka and South Africa. In 2006, she sailed around Australia for one year to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Janszoon's landing at Cape York and welcomed visitors at 25 Australian ports. Part of the 2006 celebrations was also an international symposium Dutch Connections hosted by the Australian National Museum and the Western Australian Maritime Museum.

Batavia images courtesy
Claudia Zipfel (CIE)

References