Guest Speaker:
Ian Burnet
“The Tasman Map”
Our September guest speaker is author, historian and voyager Ian Burnet, who will present The Tasman Map - the Dutch East India Company and the first Dutch discoveries of Australia.
Every visitor who passes through the vestibule of the Mitchell Library stops to admire the magnificent marble mosaic of the Tasman Map, which fills the entire vestibule floor.
This story of the first Dutch voyages to discover Australia is set against the background of the struggle of the newly formed Dutch Republic to gain its independence from the Kingdom of Spain, and the struggle of the Dutch East India Company for trade supremacy in the East Indies against its Portuguese, Spanish and English rivals.
From 1606 to 1644, based on sixteen separate discoveries, the first map of Australia took shape. The Tasman Map shows a recognizable outline of the north, west and south coasts of Australia, that was not to change for another 125 years until James Cook charted the east coast in 1770.
In 1925 and 1933 the Mitchell Library acquired the Tasman Huydecoper Journal and the Tasman Bonaparte Map. The fascinating story of how the library managed to acquire these treasures of Dutch exploration and cartography brings new recognition to these icons of both Dutch and Australian history!
About Ian Burnet
Ian grew up in South Gippsland and graduated with a degree in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Melbourne. He first went to work in Indonesia in 1968 as a young geologist and became fascinated by the diverse cultures and rich history of the archipelago. Ian has organised many sailing voyages around the Spice Islands for those interested in exploring the eastern archipelago, sailing in a traditional Indonesian wooden schooner.
He has spent thirty years living, working and travelling in Indonesia and is fascinated by the diverse history and culture of the archipelago. This is reflected in his books Spice Islands; East Indies; Archipelago - A Journey Across Indonesia; Where Australia Collides with Asia; The Tasman Map - The Biography of a Map; and his latest, Joseph Conrad’s Eastern Voyages.
A review of The Tasman Map states “Ian Burnet in this stunning volume brings alive the many voyages of discovery that linked the exploration and Dutch conquest of Indonesia to a growing awareness on the part of the Dutch of the great, but as yet unknown, land to the south”.
Ian's website is www.ianburnetbooks.com
Join us in person for what is sure to be a fascinating presentation on Saturday 17th September!
As always, please keep an eye on our website in case of any last-minute changes.
The venue is Gordon Library Meeting Room No. 1, in the Old Gordon Public School, which adjoins the Gordon Library, 799 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner Pacific Highway and Park Avenue).
It’s just a 5-minute walk from Gordon Station.
For a map and parking information, see our Contact page.
