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Rottnest Island : some historical notes

Call Number
JAFp HIST 2793
Created/Published
[Western Australia : s.n., 19--]
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5
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ROTTNEST ISLAND  

Some Historical Notes  

From old Dutch documents in the archives of The Hague it appears  

that Samuel Volkersen, in command of the galiot Waekende Boeij  

(Watching Boy) was the first European, and more than likely the  

first man, to set foot on Rottnest. Volkersen had come to the Western  

Coast of the Great South Land as it was then known, in search of  

"de Vergulden Draeg" (The Golden Dragon), one of the many ships  

which had come to sticky end in the completely unchartered, and  

consequently, dangerous, Western waters. Wreckage of the Golden  

Dragon was found on the beaches of Rottnest some 80 miles south of  

the place where the richly laden ship was destroyed. The Steersman  

in charge of the landing party, which Volkersen had sent to search  

for survivors or wreckage on the Island, was one Abraham Leeman  

Van Santwigh and Volkersen's log establishes beyond doubt that he  

and his boat's crew of 13 were the first men to land on Rottnest, the  

date being 20th March, 1658. However, Volkersen was humble  

man and was unwilling to name the Island.  

The next European to land on Rottnest was Willem de Vlaming.  

He had been sent out from the Cape of Good Hope by the Governor-  

General of the Council of India to search for the ship Ridderschap Van  

Hollaad (The Knighthood of Holland) which was lost between Cape  

of Good Hope and Batavia in 1685. He landed on Rottnest on the 30th  

December, 1696 in what is now called Salmon or Porpoise Bay, in  

the Southeast Sector of the Island. On the Ist and 3rd January, 1697  

many fires were observed on the mainland by Vlaming's crew. On  

the 4th Vlaming set sail for the mainland and at dawn on the sth  

January, 1697 he landed, it would seem, on Cottesloe Beach with  

88 men, including African negroes.  

When Vlaming visited Rottnest he had just finished long voyage  

in the stormy Southern Latitudes during which he had visited the  

bitterly cold and inhospitable island of Tristan d'Acunha, St. Paul  

and New Amsterdam, consequently when writing on Rottnest about  

December in the Mediterranean Summer of Rottnest it is little wonder  

that he waxed lyrical. He wrote "On the way felt great pleasure  

in admiring the island, which is very pleasant place. Here it seems  

nature has spared nothing to render this island beautiful above all  

others that have ever seen ... terrestrial paradise ."  

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(19--]). Rottnest Island : some historical notes Retrieved March 25, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2685781662

MLA citation

Rottnest Island : some historical notes [Western Australia: , 19--]. Web. 25 March 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2685781662>

Harvard/Australian citation

19--], Rottnest Island : some historical notes , [Western Australia viewed 25 March 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2685781662

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  |
  | title=Rottnest Island : some historical notes.
  | year=19--]
  | section=1 folded sheet ([4] p.) ; 24 cm.
  | location=[Western Australia
  | publisher=
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2685781662
  | id=nla.obj-2685781662
  | access-date=25 March 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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