The picture shows Philippe Godard’s lovely book on the First and Last Voyage of the Batavia. This generous present was given to me in Fremantle by Hugh Plaistowe when I was visiting to make arrangements for the visit by Clipper 05-06.
There is an extremely interesting display of part of the wreck of the Batavia in the Shipwreck Galleries in Fremantle. Now that it has been announced that Clipper 07-08 will also be visiting Fremantle Clipper crews and families can start planning their Christmas there – and start reading about the Batavia! See: http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime/swg.asp
The Story of the Batavia*
During the 17th century, the easiest way for ships to get to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies (Java), now Jakarta in Indonesia, was to head due east from the Cape of Good hope and then up the Western Australian coast. The numerous offshore reefs and island groups made this a risky business and the whole area is littered with wrecks, including the Batavia.
On 4th June 1629 the Batavia, a ship of the Dutch East India Company, ran aground on the inhospitable Houtman Abrolhos islands some 300 mile north of Fremantle, Western Australia. The ship’s commander took most of the officers and passengers to the mainland to search for water, leaving 268 people behind, including a sizeable number of soldiers.
An undermerchant named Jeronimus Cornelisz, who had agitated against the commander during the voyage, saw his chance to act. Tricking the soldiers into relinquishing their arms, he banished them to a nearby island and instituted a reign of terror which resulted in the death of 125 men, women and children before the Captain returned 3 months later, having been forced to travel all the way to Batavia for help. Cornelisz was summarily executed and some of his mutinous men were dumped at Wittecarra Gully, just south of modern-day Kalbarri, making them the first white men on mainland Australia.
* Source: The Lonely Planet – Western Australia
There is an extremely interesting display of part of the wreck of the Batavia in the Shipwreck Galleries in Fremantle. Now that it has been announced that Clipper 07-08 will also be visiting Fremantle Clipper crews and families can start planning their Christmas there – and start reading about the Batavia! See: http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime/swg.asp
The Story of the Batavia*
During the 17th century, the easiest way for ships to get to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies (Java), now Jakarta in Indonesia, was to head due east from the Cape of Good hope and then up the Western Australian coast. The numerous offshore reefs and island groups made this a risky business and the whole area is littered with wrecks, including the Batavia.
On 4th June 1629 the Batavia, a ship of the Dutch East India Company, ran aground on the inhospitable Houtman Abrolhos islands some 300 mile north of Fremantle, Western Australia. The ship’s commander took most of the officers and passengers to the mainland to search for water, leaving 268 people behind, including a sizeable number of soldiers.
An undermerchant named Jeronimus Cornelisz, who had agitated against the commander during the voyage, saw his chance to act. Tricking the soldiers into relinquishing their arms, he banished them to a nearby island and instituted a reign of terror which resulted in the death of 125 men, women and children before the Captain returned 3 months later, having been forced to travel all the way to Batavia for help. Cornelisz was summarily executed and some of his mutinous men were dumped at Wittecarra Gully, just south of modern-day Kalbarri, making them the first white men on mainland Australia.
* Source: The Lonely Planet – Western Australia
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