The fourth section.
1725: Since the discovery of New Holland and especially since the establishment of the colony the western coast had been thoroughly surveyed and François Thijssen's voyage along the southern coast had been followed up with Dutch charts now showing the Great Southern Bight to a reasonable degree of detail, though nothing beyond that until Van Diemans Land, which had been discovered by Abel Tasman. However they are still unaware of if and where the Great Eastern Desert ends and Captain Stephan van der Valk is dispatched east to further chart the southern coast past where Thijssen had turned back.
1726: Driven to exasperation by the conduct of the VOC Morne du Plessis the runner of a large sheep flock on the frontier who has run afoul of de Jong policies gathers together a group of like minded men to escape this oppression. Violent resistance is soon dismissed, not only is the majority of the population unwilling to fight, but they would loose against the might of the VOC. Instead he argues they should depart for somewhere else where they can be free to live as they please without having anyone tell them how to treat the Natives and which crops to plant where (de Jong is trying to build up the wine industry be making people with appropriate land for viticulture use it). While they can't be free of the VOC in this part of the continent its reach is not infinite and he decides to Trek elsewhere. Captain van der Valk having returned at the start of the year he is aware of the discovery of fertile land past the end of the Great Eastern Desert where a large river empties into the sea on the north-eastern side of the Great Southern Bight.
7th August 1726: du Plessis and the 53 pioneers rendezvous at on a deserted beach [Preston Beach, WA] 60 miles south of New Rotterdam with as much of their goods, flocks and herds as they can manage in order to head beyond the reach of de Jong. There they load themselves onto the Drommedaris, a ship owned by a local merchant sympathetic to their aims and sail east. He has secured a copy of can der Valks chart from another sympathiser who was set to copying it by de Jong with this to guide them they set out.
23rd August 1726: du Plessis arrives at what he christens Bevryding (Deliverance) and despite being unable to speak the local language he manages to persuade one of the local Aboriginals to mark a contract he has drawn up. In return gives the man a chest of goods, he thus purchases all the lands between the Ocean and the Grevelingen [Murrary] River to the east and has a witnessed contract to prove it. He and his comrades unload Drommedaris their wagons, their best cattle and sheep which they have brought with them and establish themselves. The Drommedaris returns to New Holland for their families, next group of pioneers and more supplies. One advantage of the policies of the VOC is that de Jong does not have a ship and can't react quickly to this affront as he can't transport himself and his small garrison east, nor can he commander any of the passing VOC ships but needs to petition Batavia to launch an expedition. He does not receive authorisation as a rebellion has flared up on Java and most of his garrison is actually withdrawn and forces cannot be spared to reign in a group of lunatics who are probably better off out of New Holland.
1730: A further 400 people make the journey to the Bevryding Republiek, mostly drawn from the frontier sheep and cattle herders who especially resent the new VOC policy. Despite considerable fighting against the local Aborigines after they realise what exactly du Plessis intends the for them. Aided by disease and their prior experience fighting in the west they are victorious though not without casualties.
By 1730 the initial purchase of land between the the sea and Grevelingen [Murray] River is secured and the town of Nieuwstadt [Adelaide, South Australia] established. Immigration coupled with natural increase means the Republic now has a population of just over 560 while New Holland's population has remained static due to the exodus.
In order to distinguish the continent from the VOC colony in the west the citizens of the Bevryding Republiek begin referring to the continent as Australië, a corruption of Terra Australis, the Latin name for the great southern continent that had long been theorised and most residents of New Holland thought they inhabited.
1731: On his third journey of exploration Captain van der Valk circumnavigates the continent surveying the coast up to the already known Janszoon Penninsular [Cape York Penninsular] in some detail. On his journey he sails by and spies on, though does not stop at, Nieuwstadt. He reports back to de Jong's replacement Fredrick de Vlamingh that the new settlement appears to be small and quite meagre, disputing the reports that had been spread among the general population by the pioneers. What van der Valk does not realise is that this is due to most of the settlers being graziers rather than settled farmers meaning that instead of Nieuwstadt being surrounded by a mass of small arable farms like New Rotterdam there are only a small number of farms and most of the population live in their wagons following their cattle herds.
However his inaccurate report is what the VOC wants to hear and they are confident that the Republic will soon collapse without them having to exert themselves. The VOC is also delighted by his reports of the size and extent of the continent, especially that the eastern half appears much wetter and more fertile than the mostly desert west. While it has no intention of settling this area as it is a trading company it does send the report back to Amsterdam. However the desire of both the VOC and the government of the Netherlands to keeps the discoveries secret for fear of other powers taking advantage means that van der Valks charts do not gain widespread distribution anywhere.
1734: Long aware that the VOC had established a foothold in New Holland (as it is marked on British charts) the British East India Company (BEIC) had previously sent William Dampier to chart the western coast in 1701 but had done little since. After hearing of the establishment of the Bevryding Republiek in the east on lands that do not appear on its charts it finally gets round to dispatching another survey. Captain Patrick Matheson's Excalibur is instructed to find and make contact with the break away Republic and improve the BEIC charts of the southern coast.
July 1734: Running low on water Matheson is delighted to spot Nieuwstadt and quickly approaches the town and weighs anchor on the 11th. He is initially greeted with hostility from the inhabitants as they were not expecting a ship as their clandestine trade contacts (due to the VOC's embargo) generally only arrive at the end of October to collect the wool clip. After explaining his purpose he begins to establish relations with the locals, the fiercely independent Bevrydingers are initially deeply sceptical but it is agreed that the BEIC will start trading with them. They are in desperate need of tools and supplies which they cannot make themselves and the sale of wool, leather and the Nieuw Hoopers excellent charts seems a good bargain.
Matheson departs at the end up the month resupplied and with the first instalment of the much superior Dutch charts. On arrival in Madras he is lauded for the success of his mission. While trade with the Republic is not likely to yield much profit the charts and the annoyance it will cause the VOC make it worthwhile.
1725: Since the discovery of New Holland and especially since the establishment of the colony the western coast had been thoroughly surveyed and François Thijssen's voyage along the southern coast had been followed up with Dutch charts now showing the Great Southern Bight to a reasonable degree of detail, though nothing beyond that until Van Diemans Land, which had been discovered by Abel Tasman. However they are still unaware of if and where the Great Eastern Desert ends and Captain Stephan van der Valk is dispatched east to further chart the southern coast past where Thijssen had turned back.
1726: Driven to exasperation by the conduct of the VOC Morne du Plessis the runner of a large sheep flock on the frontier who has run afoul of de Jong policies gathers together a group of like minded men to escape this oppression. Violent resistance is soon dismissed, not only is the majority of the population unwilling to fight, but they would loose against the might of the VOC. Instead he argues they should depart for somewhere else where they can be free to live as they please without having anyone tell them how to treat the Natives and which crops to plant where (de Jong is trying to build up the wine industry be making people with appropriate land for viticulture use it). While they can't be free of the VOC in this part of the continent its reach is not infinite and he decides to Trek elsewhere. Captain van der Valk having returned at the start of the year he is aware of the discovery of fertile land past the end of the Great Eastern Desert where a large river empties into the sea on the north-eastern side of the Great Southern Bight.
7th August 1726: du Plessis and the 53 pioneers rendezvous at on a deserted beach [Preston Beach, WA] 60 miles south of New Rotterdam with as much of their goods, flocks and herds as they can manage in order to head beyond the reach of de Jong. There they load themselves onto the Drommedaris, a ship owned by a local merchant sympathetic to their aims and sail east. He has secured a copy of can der Valks chart from another sympathiser who was set to copying it by de Jong with this to guide them they set out.
23rd August 1726: du Plessis arrives at what he christens Bevryding (Deliverance) and despite being unable to speak the local language he manages to persuade one of the local Aboriginals to mark a contract he has drawn up. In return gives the man a chest of goods, he thus purchases all the lands between the Ocean and the Grevelingen [Murrary] River to the east and has a witnessed contract to prove it. He and his comrades unload Drommedaris their wagons, their best cattle and sheep which they have brought with them and establish themselves. The Drommedaris returns to New Holland for their families, next group of pioneers and more supplies. One advantage of the policies of the VOC is that de Jong does not have a ship and can't react quickly to this affront as he can't transport himself and his small garrison east, nor can he commander any of the passing VOC ships but needs to petition Batavia to launch an expedition. He does not receive authorisation as a rebellion has flared up on Java and most of his garrison is actually withdrawn and forces cannot be spared to reign in a group of lunatics who are probably better off out of New Holland.
1730: A further 400 people make the journey to the Bevryding Republiek, mostly drawn from the frontier sheep and cattle herders who especially resent the new VOC policy. Despite considerable fighting against the local Aborigines after they realise what exactly du Plessis intends the for them. Aided by disease and their prior experience fighting in the west they are victorious though not without casualties.
By 1730 the initial purchase of land between the the sea and Grevelingen [Murray] River is secured and the town of Nieuwstadt [Adelaide, South Australia] established. Immigration coupled with natural increase means the Republic now has a population of just over 560 while New Holland's population has remained static due to the exodus.
In order to distinguish the continent from the VOC colony in the west the citizens of the Bevryding Republiek begin referring to the continent as Australië, a corruption of Terra Australis, the Latin name for the great southern continent that had long been theorised and most residents of New Holland thought they inhabited.
1731: On his third journey of exploration Captain van der Valk circumnavigates the continent surveying the coast up to the already known Janszoon Penninsular [Cape York Penninsular] in some detail. On his journey he sails by and spies on, though does not stop at, Nieuwstadt. He reports back to de Jong's replacement Fredrick de Vlamingh that the new settlement appears to be small and quite meagre, disputing the reports that had been spread among the general population by the pioneers. What van der Valk does not realise is that this is due to most of the settlers being graziers rather than settled farmers meaning that instead of Nieuwstadt being surrounded by a mass of small arable farms like New Rotterdam there are only a small number of farms and most of the population live in their wagons following their cattle herds.
However his inaccurate report is what the VOC wants to hear and they are confident that the Republic will soon collapse without them having to exert themselves. The VOC is also delighted by his reports of the size and extent of the continent, especially that the eastern half appears much wetter and more fertile than the mostly desert west. While it has no intention of settling this area as it is a trading company it does send the report back to Amsterdam. However the desire of both the VOC and the government of the Netherlands to keeps the discoveries secret for fear of other powers taking advantage means that van der Valks charts do not gain widespread distribution anywhere.
1734: Long aware that the VOC had established a foothold in New Holland (as it is marked on British charts) the British East India Company (BEIC) had previously sent William Dampier to chart the western coast in 1701 but had done little since. After hearing of the establishment of the Bevryding Republiek in the east on lands that do not appear on its charts it finally gets round to dispatching another survey. Captain Patrick Matheson's Excalibur is instructed to find and make contact with the break away Republic and improve the BEIC charts of the southern coast.
July 1734: Running low on water Matheson is delighted to spot Nieuwstadt and quickly approaches the town and weighs anchor on the 11th. He is initially greeted with hostility from the inhabitants as they were not expecting a ship as their clandestine trade contacts (due to the VOC's embargo) generally only arrive at the end of October to collect the wool clip. After explaining his purpose he begins to establish relations with the locals, the fiercely independent Bevrydingers are initially deeply sceptical but it is agreed that the BEIC will start trading with them. They are in desperate need of tools and supplies which they cannot make themselves and the sale of wool, leather and the Nieuw Hoopers excellent charts seems a good bargain.
Matheson departs at the end up the month resupplied and with the first instalment of the much superior Dutch charts. On arrival in Madras he is lauded for the success of his mission. While trade with the Republic is not likely to yield much profit the charts and the annoyance it will cause the VOC make it worthwhile.
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And it really doesn't help that Australia doesn't have many geopolitical rivals - and for most of its history it never had an independent foreign policy.