In 1606, the small Dutch ship Duyfken sailed from the Indonesian island of Banda in search of gold and trade opportunities on the fabled island of Nova Guinea.

Under the command of Willem Janszoon, Duyfken and her crew ventured south-east. They sailed beyond Os Papuas (Papua New Guinea)and explored and chartered part of the coast of Nova Guinea. They did not find gold - but they did find the northern coast of a huge continent: Australia. Captain Janszoon was the first European to map and record Australia in history so Duyfken's voyage marks the beginning of Australia's recorded history.

	Ages of Discovery Come back in time, from the original settlement of the Australian continent by Aboriginal ancestors to the first footprints on the moon...
	A Brave Ship A timeline of what we know about the original Duyfken
	Dutch Maritime Ventures In 1606 Duyfken, owned by the Dutch East India Company and stationed in the East Indies, made a voyage of exploration looking for "east and south lands" which took it on the first historically recorded voyage to Australia.
	Spices and the Spice Islands "No man should die who can afford cinnamon," it was said in the 15th century.
	Navigation and Maps How could ancient mariners find their way to a small island after sailing 9,000 miles out of sight of land?