Australia

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Who discovered Australia?

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In 200AD a Greek astronomer, Claudius Ptolemy, said he believed the earth had to be balanced or it would topple over. So he worked out that there had be a land yet unknown to Europeans somewhere below the Indian Ocean. This yet-to-be-discovered land came to be known as Terra Australis Incognito, which means the Unknown Southern Land. Portuguese sailors may have sailed along the coastline of Australia as far back as 1542. Some maps have been found which show parts of what appears to be the Australian coastline. In 1616 a Dutch trading ship, the Eendracht, on its way to the Indies bumped into west coast of Australia. Captain Dirk Hartog landed at what is now known as Shark Bay, and nailed a pewter dish to a tree to record his visit. His is the first recorded European landing in Australia.