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Slideshow:
Overview For
an overview of 150 years of VOC contact with Australia between 1606 and 1756 see "Voyages
and Expeditions"
 Zuytdorp 1712 - 2012
In June 2012 we commemorate the 300th anniversary
of the wrecking of the Zuytdorp on
the coast of Western Australia 60 kms north
of the town of Kalbarri. Around 200 people survived that crash! What happened to them?
 Hartogh 1616 - 2016
2016 is the 400th anniversary of Dirck Hartogh's landing on
West Australian soil. The first European to do so. Read more >>
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Navigating through the Society's web site. Site map.
This website covers many aspects of the history of the VOC in Australia. Use the dropdown menus (above) to locate
relevant webpages or, alternatively, use the Information Overview page.
This provides a structured view of all the pages on this website with more detailed descriptions of their content.
Click here.
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What is the VOC?
The
Verenigde
Oostindische Compagnie
(United East Indies Company), or VOC, was
formed in the Netherlands in 1602 with the aim of sending ships to East Asia to buy
pepper, cinnamon and other spices and trade them on European markets. Its ships
sailed past, landed or were wrecked on Western Australia's coastline. Read all
about it on this site.
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Why
was there so much VOC activity along Western Australia's (WA) coast?
In
the very early days of Dutch trade, VOC ships stopped at the Cape of
Good Hope and then followed the Portuguese route across the Indian Ocean
to the East Indies. In 1610, Hendrik Brouwer, a senior official with the
Company, pioneered a new route. After the Cape he sailed south-east to
between 35 and 40 S lattitude and then east for about 3500 nautical
miles before turning north, sailing along the WA coast, towards Sunda
Strait and Java and then Batavia - the centre for Dutch trade with Asia.The
route was officially adopted. It was six months quicker!
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What happened to the survivors of Dutch shipwrecks on Western Australia's coastline?
The general consensus amongst historians and allied academics
is that these survivors would not have lasted for any considerable period of time. Reasons often quoted are hostile natives and the lack of survival skills amongst these
Europeans considering the harsh and unknown environment in which they found themselves. How wrong can you get!
>>More
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Dutch DNA link to Aboriginals in Western Australia (WA)?
The VOC Historical Society, in collaboration with coastal
Aboriginal communities and geneticists in The Netherlands, is investigating the possible existence of a genetic link between VOC shipwreck survivors and
current members of the community. Should the work prove that such a link exists, it would settle all the speculation that exists today about what might
have happened to the survivors. It would also mean that Europeans settled in Australia long before its Colonial history began and thereby change
Australia's early European history.
See how many VOC shipwreck survivors there were. >>Click here.
"Gene tests seek Dutch links to WA Aboriginals." >>Read the newspaper article.
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Web page about the Society: its mission, objectives, contact information and membership details.
The Society is growing and achieving results in its endeavour to meet its objectives.
Our loyal members have supported these efforts for nearly a decade and we invite you to join us in a bid to Enrich Australia's History.
Or, maybe, send us a donation.
To check it out Click here.
Help us to "Enrich Australia's History" by becoming a sponsor and have your logo here.
Contact us.
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THIS
MONTH IN VOC HISTORY
JULY
1619 (391 years ago!)
Captain Frederick de Houtman in the VOC ship Dordrecht and Jacob d'Edel, Councillor of the Indies, in the VOC ship Amsterdam sighted the land south of
the mouth of the Swan River which they called "d'Edelsland". de Houtmat sailed north keeping the coast in sight when he came across small islands
surrounded by coral reefs (Houtman Abrolhos).
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We
are seeking information about habitats, graves, artifacts and co-habitation with the
indigenous population by the survivors of VOC (Dutch) shipwrecks on Western Australia’s coastline.
Confidentiality is assured. >>More
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AVAILABLE NOW!
Reproductions from original paintings by Adriaan de Jong.
They depict actual happenings in Australian history such as Dirck Hartogh's landing on Dirk Hartog island
and de Vlamingh's expedition in 1696/7. Check it out!
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