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Up until 1627, the knowledge of Australian coastlines was restricted to largely haphazard contacts and sightings on the western and northern coasts. The eastern and southern coasts were completely unknown. There are extant records of a sighting along the southern coast in 1627, by a Dutch ship ' t Gulden Zeepaard (the Golden Seahorse). The first time these discoveries appear on a printed map is on Gerritsz' 1628 map of Australia . Given the accuracy of the map's depiction of the coastline, the vessel must have come within sight of the coast. Nuyts was a senior official in the Dutch East India Company (V.O.C.) and it is his name that is always associated with the ' t Gulden Zeepaerdt's discoveries, however credit must also be given to the captain Frans Thyssen. The two islands of the south coast S.Francois and S.Pieter, were named after the Christian names of the two men. Perhaps Nuyts was the commander of the voyage.

Hondius' Polus Antarcticus (which was based on the geography from Gerritsz' 1628 map) is one of the earliest maps to show the discoveries of Pieter Nuyts. Hondius persists with the notion of 'Terra Australis Incognita', although he gives it rather indecisive boundaries. He also charts a string of islands in the Pacific Hernandus Gallego is purported to have discovered in 1576.

Hondius' map records many of the early Dutch discoveries in Australia , including those of Hartog in 1616, the Van Leeuwin in 1622, and Nuyts in 1627.

This information is adopted from the Printed World catalogue series, one of the most enjoyable and informative Australian Antique map catalogues available, created and compiled by Simon Dewez .

View map online on http://www.antiquemapart.com/map/11