Chris Switzer introduced guest speaker Ian Burnet, published author of six books and well known to all of us.
Ian spoke about the history of the Dutch ship the Duyfken an early 17th Century explorer which played a significant role in the history of Australia, and a replica of which was built in Fremantle, WA.
The ship is a sister ship to the HMB Endeavour. After the replica Endeavour was built in 1994, there was a fear that the skills of those who built it could be lost and the best way to ensure this didn’t happen was to start another such project. Thus a replica of the 1606 Duyfken was embarked upon in the late 1990s.
Ian went on to describe how the replica ship was built in Fremantle, the replica’s keel being laid by Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander on 27 March 1997. As it was to be an ocean going vessel, it had to be built with engines, which are very cleverly hidden to maintain its original appearance. The ship was completed and launched on 24 Jan 1999.
Once completed, the ship was brought over to Newcastle on a carrier ship from Fremantle and then sailed down to Sydney. The ship carries a ballast of Dutch bricks which came from an old house in the Netherlands. The Duyfken, together with the HMB Endeavour and the James Craig, are based at the Sydney Maritime Museum, and often cruises Sydney Harbour. It is the only maritime museum in the world to have three ocean going vessels.
Duyfken's Voyages
In 2000 the vessel sailed from Banda, Indonesia to Cape York in a re-enactment of the original voyage of 1606. In 2002, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Dutch East India Company, the Duyfken sailed into Rotterdam harbor which was closed for the special occasion.
The original Duyfken, or Little Dove, first voyaged to the East Indies in 1595 and showed up on the map of the Company for Far Distant Lands. Four Dutch ships Amsterdam, Hollandia, Mauritius and Duyfken, which was the scout ship, sailed to the East Indies with a total crew of 240 of which only 83 returned home again. Though a failure for its investors in a commercial sense, the expedition did actually make it to the East Indies and formed the beginning of the Spice Trade. The 2nd expedition in 1599 was more successful for the investors who reaped a 400% profit. This was followed by a 3rd voyage in 1602. A number of companies started up but eventually they became the Dutch East India Company.
On 18 Nov 1605 the Duyfken sailed from Banda, Indonesia eventually arriving at Cape Keerweer on the Cape York Peninsula in 1606, being the first recorded European contact on Australian shores.
The original Duyfken sailed between 1595 and 1608, when it was condemned as being beyond repair and was abandoned in Ternate Harbour in the Maluku Islands.
Chris thanked Ian for his interesting and informative talk.
Helen Gulson
