Willem De Vlamingh

Willem de Vlamingh (born 28 November 1640 , died ?) was a Flemish sea-captain who explored the southwest coast of Australia (then " New Holland ") in the late 17th Century .

In 1696 de Vlamingh's expedition left Amsterdam to chart the south-west coast of New Holland to aid navigation on the Indian Ocean route from African Cape. There were three ships under his command: the ''Geelvink'', ''Nyptangh'' and the ''Wezeltje''.

On December 29 1696 , he discovered Rottnest Island . He named the island from the number of rats (actually the native marsupial Quokka s), observed.

On January 10 1697 , he discovered the Swan River . He named the river after the Black Swan s which he observed in large numbers.

On February 4 1697, he landed at Dirk Hartog Island , Western Australia , and replaced Dirk Hartog ’s Pewter plate with one bearing a record of both visits. The original plate is preserved in the Rijksmuseum .

De Vlamingh's name is preserved in the names of a number of geographical features in Western Australia.

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Willem De Vlamingh