FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Fun Trivia
Home: Questions and Answers Forum
Answers to 100,000 Fascinating Questions
Welcome to FunTrivia's Question & Answer forum!

Search All Questions


Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims.

Archived Questions

Goto Qn #


Although many south-east Asians and/or Polynesians had prior visits, who was the first European to record sighting the Australian coastline?

Question #152170. Asked by odo5435.
Last updated Jul 23 2025.
Originally posted Jul 23 2025 9:57 AM.

avatar
elburcher star
Answer has 4 votes
Currently Best Answer
elburcher star
25 year member
1613 replies avatar

Answer has 4 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
The Dutch ship Duyfken (Little Dove)

Captained by Willem Janszoon, the Dutch ship Duyfken (Little Dove) recorded the first confirmed European sighting of Australia in 1606 and was the first of many expeditions to chart parts of the Australian coastline.

link https://federationstory.com/first-confirmed-european-sighting-of-australia/

Response last updated by elburcher on Jul 23 2025.
Jul 23 2025, 11:16 AM
avatar
1nn1 star
Answer has 2 votes
1nn1 star
14 year member
201 replies avatar

Answer has 2 votes.
To supplement the information in the response above, Willem Jansz and his crew of the Duyfken not only sighted what was to become Australia, but they actually stepped foot on Australian soil at the Pennefather River on Cape York Peninsula. In 1616, Dirk Hartog discovered and mapped part of the Western Australian coast. By 1618, the first accurate representations of the coast of Australia appeared on European maps.
link https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/publications/great-southern-land-maritime-exploration-terra-australis

Jul 23 2025, 2:03 PM
free email trivia FREE! Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day!


arrow Your Email Address:

Sign in or Create Free User ID to participate in the discussion
Return to FunTrivia
"Ask FunTrivia" strives to offer the best answers possible to trivia questions. We ask our submitters to thoroughly research questions and provide sources where possible. Feel free to post corrections or additions. This is server B184.