Dirk Hartog 1616–2016: 400 years of Dutch-Australian connections
About this module
This resource has been generously supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Australia, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Dirk Hartog on the West Australian coast in 1616.
It adopts an inquiry learning approach that develops students’ skills as historians. The resource engages students with a rich selection of historical sources and challenges them to draw their own conclusions about Dutch-Australian connections over the past 410 years. It focuses on Dutch maritime explorations of Australia.
The resource gives teachers flexibility. Introductory and concluding activities are provided to focus students on the broad concepts explored in Year 4.
The highlight of the resource is the selection of sources from the National Library of Australia’s collection. The student activities that support the sources cater for a variety of classroom contexts and learning styles.
Digital Classroom: Dirk Hartog 1616-2016 - 400 years of Dutch-Australian connections
Topics in this module
Herman Moll & William Dampier, Collection of voyages. (1729). A map of the East-Indies and adjacent countries [cartographic material] : with settlements, factories, and territories : explaining what belongs to England, Spain, France, Holland, Denmark, Portugal, etc. with many remarks not extant in any other map / by H. Moll, geog. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231221936
(1950). [Replica of the Vlamingh Plate] [realia]. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135734827
Francisco Pelsaert, Ongeluckige voyagie van't schip Batavia na Oost-Indien uyt-gevaren onder de E. Franç̧ois Pelsaert : gebleven op de Abriolhos van Frederick Houtman op de hooghte van 28 en een half graden by Zuyden de Linie Equinoctiael : vervattende 't verongelucken des schips, en de grouwelijcke moorderyen onder 't scheeps-volck, op't eylandt Bataviaes Kerck-hoff nevens de straffe der handtdadigers in de Jaren 1628 en 1629 ; hier achter is by- gevoeght eenige discourssen der Oost-Indische Zee-vaert als mede de gantsche gelegentheyt der Koopmanschappen diemen in Indien doet. t' Utrecht : Lucas de Vries, Boeck-verkooper in de Snipper-vlucht, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-39984464
Curriculum links
The three themes, Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, Dirk Hartog: The Tale of Two Plates and Shipwrecked!, have been developed with specific reference to the content descriptions for Year 4 students in the Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences.
- The journey(s) of AT LEAST ONE world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts (ACHASSK084)
- The nature of contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and others, for example, the Macassans and the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example, people and environments (ACHASSK086)
The resource also has relevance to the English and the Civics and Citizenship learning areas and to the General Capabilities of Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Intercultural Understanding, and Personal and Social Capability.
More to learn and do
Kathy Weeden reading her book Phonobet, illustrated by Kim Drane and published by NLA Publishing, at Enlighten at the Library 2024
