Abel Janszoon Tasman, who lived from around 1603 to 10 October 1659, was a Dutch seafarer and explorer best known for two voyages, in 1642 and 1644, undertaken in the service of the Dutch East India Company. Sailing from the company's base at Batavia, now Jakarta, in 1642 to explore the uncharted southern Pacific and seek new trade routes, Tasman reached and named the coast of what is now Tasmania, calling it Van Diemen's Land after his patron, the Dutch governor-general Anthony van Diemen, before sailing on to become the first European to reach New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt; the name was later changed to Nieuw Zeeland, after the Dutch province of Zeeland, by the Dutch East India Company's official cartographer. His encounter with Maori on the South Island of New Zealand ended in a violent clash that left four of his men dead, and Tasman returned to Batavia without establishing trade relations with either people he had encountered, continuing to serve the Dutch East India Company until his death in 1659. More than a century later, knowledge gained from Tasman's voyages was drawn on by James Cook, whose own expeditions led directly to British exploration and colonization of Australia and New Zealand.
Facts
Birth YearSources give 1602 or 1603; the exact year is uncertain. RoleDutch seafarer and explorer in the service of the Dutch East India Company; first European to reach New Zealand and namesake of Tasmania (voyages of 1642 and 1644). 1 BirthplaceLutjegast, Netherlands (Dutch Republic) 1 Death PlaceBatavia, Dutch East Indies 1 Role
Role (category) FAQs
What happened to Abel Tasman after his landing party met the Maori?
Encyclopedia.com says he returned to Batavia in June 1643 after a 10-month voyage.
Encyclopedia.com says a landing party was attacked by Maori at Golden Bay on 18 December. Tasman then sailed up the west coast of New Zealand's North Island to the Tonga and Fiji islands and returned to Batavia along the northern coast of New Guinea in June 1643, after a voyage lasting 10 months.
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Sources
1. Abel Tasman (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationbody text, opening of biography section
Likely born in 1602 or 1603 in Lutjegast, Netherlands, Tasman started his career as a merchant seaman and became a skilled navigator.
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Likely born in 1602 or 1603 in Lutjegast, Netherlands, Tasman started his career as a merchant seaman and became a skilled navigator.
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Tasman died at Batavia on 10 October 1659 at about age 56 and was survived by his second wife and a daughter by his first wife.
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Tasman died at Batavia on 10 October 1659 at about age 56 and was survived by his second wife and a daughter by his first wife.
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Tasman died at Batavia on 10 October 1659 at about age 56 and was survived by his second wife and a daughter by his first wife.
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Abel Janszoon Tasman
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He was the first European to reach New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt. He also discovered and was the eponym of Tasmania.
Abel Tasman: Gender
Sailing from the company's base at Batavia, now Jakarta, in 1642 to explore the uncharted southern Pacific and seek new trade routes, Tasman reached and named the coast of what is now Tasmania, calling it Van Diemen's Land after his patron, the Dutch governor-general Anthony van Diemen, before sailing on to become the first European to reach New Zealand, which he named Staten Landt; the name was later changed to Nieuw Zeeland, after the Dutch province of Zeeland, by the Dutch East India Company's official cartographer.
View the Source Wikidata: Abel Tasman
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