Dutch in New Holland.

Cook

Banned
In 1616 Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog explored the West Coast of Australia, naming it New Holland.
In 1652 the Dutch East India Company established a way-station at Cape Town in South Africa for ships heading to the East Indies.
Consider if instead of just Cape Town they had established a base in Western Australia as well?
 
What would be the benefit of such a station? Is it easier to sail across the southern Indian ocean directly to Australia and then turn north rather than first turn north, sail along the coast/the small islands to India and then turn East? I'd assume that on the southern route, you'd have west winds? That may make sailing directly to Australia easier, but the way back would be around the coasts.

Nevertheless, an important point is that the Dutch IOTL had rather small interest in their colony in South Africa. IT was planned as a victualing station and only very slowly developed into a colony. Probably the same would happen in West Australia, and probably similar to South Africa the British would conquer it sooner or later. As population of the Australian colony would likely be even smaller than that of the Cape, I'd assume that West Australia nevertheless develops into an anglophone country. Particularly since slavery shouldn'T be an issue for the Western Australian Dutch, making a trek utterly senseless.
 
Probably the same would happen in West Australia, and probably similar to South Africa the British would conquer it sooner or later.
No they wouldn't. A Dutch colony in western Australia would have completely no use to the British, so they would leave it alone.
 
The problem being that Western Australia is a desolate, inhospitable hole, for the most part. Thats why nothing was made of it by the Dutch in the first place.
 
The Dutch pioneered using the circumpolar winds to drastically shorten the round trip to the East Indies. By using the roaring 40s and then sailing up the west coast of Australia they didn't have to wait for the monsoon to blow them north along the African coast. They also didn't ahve to contend with the Portuguese and Islamic powers in Africa and the Mid East. Since the regularly made landfall in Australia it is not inconceiveable that they could start a camp and mail drop in the Perth area.
 
No they wouldn't. A Dutch colony in western Australia would have completely no use to the British, so they would leave it alone.

The Dutch pioneered using the circumpolar winds to drastically shorten the round trip to the East Indies. By using the roaring 40s and then sailing up the west coast of Australia they didn't have to wait for the monsoon to blow them north along the African coast. They also didn't ahve to contend with the Portuguese and Islamic powers in Africa and the Mid East. Since the regularly made landfall in Australia it is not inconceiveable that they could start a camp and mail drop in the Perth area.

So a colony in West Australia might be useful for those colonial powers which control the East Indies and use the circumpolar winds - yet the very one that did IOTL did never establish a colony there?
 
No they wouldn't. A Dutch colony in western Australia would have completely no use to the British, so they would leave it alone.

that would be rather amusing, if the napoleonic wars still happen and in the aftermath the british say:

'no return of the colonies, you still have a colony.'

thus forcing the Dutch to develop New Holland as a colony for prestige, together with the increased Dutch interests in Japan (Dejima was never taken by the British) can lead to very interesting butterflies.
 
that would be rather amusing, if the napoleonic wars still happen and in the aftermath the british say:

'no return of the colonies, you still have a colony.'

thus forcing the Dutch to develop New Holland as a colony for prestige, together with the increased Dutch interests in Japan (Dejima was never taken by the British) can lead to very interesting butterflies.

New Holland would probably occupied during the Napoleonic wars, like the rest of the Dutch colonies, but because of lack of use returned with most of the other Dutch colonies (like Surinam, Indonesia, Dutch Gold coast, Dutch West Indies, Dutch India and Malacca).
 
Most likley event that , might interesed the Lord Seventeen, to start a colony in Australia could be if Tasman had the corage or will or what ever was wrong with him to prevent to folow the most ambitious instructions of governor Van Diemen, he could have well found fertil land in the East side of Australia. Maybe giving the Lord Seventeen ( board of directors of the United East Indian Company ) a reason to start a peoples palntation in order to grow crops to feed the trade factories in Asia. An iedea which was living also earlier with people as Governor Coen.

Red 1st vojage of Tasman 1642
Orange 2nd vojage of Tasman 1644
Green 2nd vojage of Tasman if he had the corage to follow the prefered, first orders of Governor Van Diemen.

An other reson to start a kind of colony or outpost in West Australia was not as refressing station as the Cape was, but more as a kind of safe haven or salvation station for ships who mised the turn North to late and came to close to Austrailans West coast and even stranded.

A third, I find the most interesting, option is a colony or colonies, at the West coast of Australia established by shipwrecked peolpe, with or with out Abolriginal support or even close relations. ( as example a more differnet turn of events with the Batavia disaster) Supose some self suppporting survivor comunities were discovered in the 2nd half of the 17th century, the Lord Seventeen were giving the unlnown continent more attention again.

Tasman.PNG
 
Thijessen and Tasman both just missed out in my opinion. Perhaps if Thijessen had sailed a few more days he would reach present day Adeliade or the Murray mouth. And if Tasman had sailed on a more northerly latitude he would have followed on from Thijessen and found Victoria on his way to New Zealand instead of the southern tip of Tasmania.

Perhaps an important point is that in the south east of Australia the Aboriginies practised a far more sedntary lifestyle. Intensive hunter gatherers using improved wetlands which would probably look more attactive to the Dutch the the locals of WA, especially in comparison.
 
Still I think, even fertile soil was found in Australia, there would be a small possibility that the VOC started an out post in Australia. There were no trade items found, or by some strange opportunity, gold artifacts or something like that was found among the Aboriginals.
An other option is that, the Maori were a bit more friendly and provided trade opportunities which the VOC found worth to establish trade post on New Zealand.
This increased the frequency of shipping enormous and with that, perhaps, the desire to find a refreshing station or desire by some sailors to start a farm half way Batavia and New Zealand on the East coast of Australia.

But the thread was the West coast, and I still like the idea of communities from shipwrecked sailors, and eventually a kind of rescue station around present day Perth?

Any way the influx of immigrant would be low, like Cape colony and New Amsterdam ( New York) the settlement of colonist was discouraged by the trading companies, and there was little desire or need to leave the Netherlands
 

Valdemar II

Banned
Honestly if we see a Dutch colony in Australia, it will likely be a way station in south westen part of West Australia, likely it will end up looking a lot like the Cape colony, most ignored with a small growing population.
 
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