Do you drink?

[Stoopie]

^ LOL that's a great reason for it yes So I bet you've got everything you need over there then? Strange idea that Australia used to be a Dutch prison

[Mattk]

No, Australia was never Dutch. Yes, you folks were the first white guys to land, but all Dirk Hartog and his merry lost sailors did was chuck a pewter plate on the beach and sail off to make money. The Brits set up the prison.

[TopGearNL]

Originally Posted by Mattk No, Australia was never Dutch. Yes, you folks were the first white guys to land, but all Dirk Hartog and his merry lost sailors did was chuck a pewter plate on the beach and sail off to make money. The Brits set up the prison.

Very true, what on earth are you on about Stoopie?

Don't you remember the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman? He found Tasmania (named after him) and he found New Zealand, but he missed Australia

[Stoopie]

^ Hm I really thought Australia used to be our prison, well must've switched things then. What I'm trying to say is: I love beer.

[Stoopie]

Originally Posted by TopGearNL Originally Posted by Mattk No, Australia was never Dutch. Yes, you folks were the first white guys to land, but all Dirk Hartog and his merry lost sailors did was chuck a pewter plate on the beach and sail off to make money. The Brits set up the prison. Very true, what on earth are you on about Stoopie? Don't you remember the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman? He found Tasmania (named after him) and he found New Zealand, but he missed Australia

Oh btw, I did some research: he really did find Australia. In 1606, the Dutch ship Duyfken found unknown land, and they entered that in the Gulf of Carpentaria, in the north of Australia. 10 years later, another Dutch ship reached the westcoast of Australia and the captains of the two ships named it 'New Holland'. In 1642 captain Abel Tasman (your guy TGNL) rounded things up by discovering 'Van Diemensland' (now called Tasmania) and discovered Australia was an island. In 1768, James Cook and his men discovered the eastcoast of Australia and named it 'New South Wales'. After that, they decided to head north, and on January 26th 1788 they reached land on a place which we now call Sydney!

>> So TGNL sorry but you're wrong here, he really did reach Australia!

>> And yes Mattk, you're right, the British used the island as a prison for they overcrowded situation back home.. ops:

[Mattk]

After that, they decided to head north, and on January 26th 1788 they reached land on a place which we now call Sydney!

That wasn't Cook. This was the First Fleet with Capt. Arthur Phillip. And Cook actually arrived in 1770, whilst on an expedition around the world on behalf of the Royal Society.

[TopGearNL]

So TGNL sorry but you're wrong here, he really did reach Australia!

I never said he didn't

But we didn't own Australia, well not all of it..

[Stoopie]

Originally Posted by TopGearNL So TGNL sorry but you're wrong here, he really did reach Australia! I never said he didn't But we didn't own Australia, well not all of it..

Nope, only the northern and western part, the rest was British I suppose.

And if you say he missed Australia, I assume you mean he didn't reach it or he didn't get there...

[TopGearNL]

And if you say he missed Australia, I assume you mean he didn't reach it or he didn't get there...

He missed it at first, thats why the Brits found it sooner

[Stoopie]

Originally Posted by TopGearNL And if you say he missed Australia, I assume you mean he didn't reach it or he didn't get there... He missed it at first, thats why the Brits found it sooner

Thought you thought that already: Tasman found Australia in 1648, Cook in 1768!

[TopGearNL]

Originally Posted by Stoopie Originally Posted by TopGearNL And if you say he missed Australia, I assume you mean he didn't reach it or he didn't get there... He missed it at first, thats why the Brits found it sooner Thought you thought that already: Tasman found Australia in 1648, Cook in 1768!

LOL that line makes no sense at all..

What do you mean?

[Stoopie]

You said the Brits found Australia sooner, well Tasman found Australia in 1648, and Cook in 1768! So the Dutch actually were 120 years earlier

[TopGearNL]

Originally Posted by Stoopie You said the Brits found Australia sooner, well Tasman found Australia in 1648, and Cook in 1768! So the Dutch actually were 120 years earlier

That is true, Im not gonna argue about facts.

But:

After sporadic visits by fishermen from the north and by European explorers and merchants starting in the seventeenth century, the eastern half of the mainland was claimed by the British in 1770

Vanuit het oogpunt van de VOC waren Tasmans ontdekkingen een mislukking: hij had geen geschikt handelsgebied gevonden, noch verbeterde zeeroutes naar bekende gebieden. Gedurende meer dan een eeuw (tot de tijd van James Cook), zou de reis van Tasman het enige Europese bezoek aan Tasmanië en Nieuw-Zeeland blijven. Australië werd nog wel enkele malen bezocht, maar meestal alleen bij toeval.

So it wasn't found by the British first, but they did own it and might have not been the real founders in theory, but in real life...

[Stoopie]

We're talking about facts here, and in fact the Dutch discovered it, in contrary to what you said That's what my point here, not what happened in real life. And even though, in real life it was still discovered by the Dutch, though it may have not been to any use for the VOC, they still got there before the British did.

[TopGearNL]

Originally Posted by Stoopie We're talking about facts here, and in fact the Dutch discovered it, in contrary to what you said That's what my point here, not what happened in real life. And even though, in real life it was still discovered by the Dutch, though it may have not been to any use for the VOC, they still got there before the British did.

True but what I mean is that if he would have found it even sooner, on his first voyage and found a different part then he actual did maybe he could have claimed it just like the british did. The british found the ''real'' Australia since Tasman only found worthless desert or so..

So Im not saying your wrong, thats stupid since its facts but its not the entire story