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Creator: Tasman, Abel Janszoon, 1603?-1659.
Title: [Australia and New Zealand] [cartographic material] : from the original map made under the direction of Abel Tasman in 1644 and now in the Mitchell Library, Sydney / this facsimile was drawn by James Emery in 1946.
Scale: Scale indeterminable.
Publisher: Sydney : Published by the Trustees of the Public Library of New South Wales : Photolithography by S.T. Leigh & Co., 1946.
Date: 1946
Material Type: Map
Physical Description: 1 map : col. ; 70 x 92 cm.
Notes: Reproduction of an early Dutch map of Australia and New Zealand commonly attributed to Abel Tasman but drawn originally from many sources by the Dutch East India Company inspired by Tasman's 1642 discoveries. Under orders issued by Governor General van Dieman Abel Tasman set out in 1642 to discover new lands in the southern latitudes. He first discovered Tamania (which he named Van Dieman's Land) in November 1642 on his first voyage, later discovering New Zealand as well as the Fiji Islands. In February 1644 he headed another exploratory mission as directed by the Dutch East India Company, sailing to the south coast of New Guinea to chart any coastline sited of the 'Southland'. But on their return in August 1644 no strait had been discovered south of New Guinea and no sightings of the eastern coast of Australia were reported. Nevertheless, the Dutch East India Company, drawing on Tasman's recent observations and those of previous Dutch explorers, had formed a reasonable estimation of the shape of this southern continent. Naming it 'Compagnis Niew Nederland' or the Company's New Holland, they drew up this composite map (referred to now as the Tasman Composite Chart) featuring a sweeping hypothetical eastern coastline which is nevertheless fairly realistic. The northeast tip of Australia is the greatest discrepancy projecting as far north as New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago and adjoined with New Guinea.

Title proper supplied by cataloguer.

Rex Nan Kivell Collection Map NK 9814.
Subjects: Tasman, Abel Janszoon, 1603?-1659 -- Travel -- Australia -- Maps.
Early maps -- Facsimiles.
Australia -- Maps -- Early works to 1800 -- Facsimiles.
New Zealand -- Maps -- Early works to 1800 -- Facsimiles.
Australia -- 1642 -- Maps.
New Zealand -- 1642 -- Maps.
Call Number: MAP NK 9814
Amicus Number: 9729265
To cite this item use: http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-nk9814