| In 1611, the Dutch had discovered a new sailing route to the Indies. |
Instead of creeping around the coast of Africa and crossing to India, or striking across from Madagascar, Captain Brouwer made use of the prevailing westerly winds to sail eastwards over 6,500 kilometres before turning north for Java.
After a number of other ships had travelled the same route, the Dutch East India Company prescribed it as the regular course for their vessels.
The first ship to do this and purposefully sail along Australia's western coast was the Eendracht, commanded by Dirk Hartog. On Dirk Hartog Island he erected a post with a pewter dish inscribed: '1616, On 25th October arrived here in the ship Eendracht from Amsterdam; he also included the names of his officers and then set sail to continue north until he reached Willem's river.
Hartog recorded little information about the country in his log book excepting to say that it was uninhabited. Thereafter Dutch vessels heading for Java were instructed to sail eastwards until "the Eendracht's Land" was sighted, and then to turn north. This made it certain that the whole west and north-west coast would soon appear correctly drawn on Dutch maps.
Today, Hartog's plate is still preserved in Amsterdam and a replica of it is contained in the Museum of Perth.
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