New Holland

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


the name, now extinct, firstgiven to Australia by Dutch explorers.

1703. Capt. William Dampier,' Voyages,' vol. iii. [Title]:

«A Voyage to New Holland, &c., in the Year 1699.»

1814. M. Flinders, `Voyage to Terra Australis,' Intro. p. ii:

«The vast regions to which this voyage was principallydirected, comprehend, in the western part, the earlydiscoveries of the Dutch, under the name of New Holland; and inthe east, the coasts explored by British navigators, and namedNew South Wales.»

1845. J. O. Balfour, `Sketch of New South Wales,' p. 2:

«The Spaniards at the commencement of the seventeenth centurywere the discoverers of New Holland; and from them it receivedthe name of Australia. It subsequently, however, obtained itspresent name of New Holland from the Dutch navigators, whovisited it a few years afterwards.»

[The Spaniards did not call New Holland Australia (q.v.). The Spaniard Quiros gave the name of Australia del Espiritu Santo to one of the New Hebrides (still known as Espiritu Santo), thinking it to be part of the `Great South Land.' See Captain Cook's remarks on this subject in `Hawkesworth's Voyages,' vol. iii. p. 602.]

1850. J. Bonwick, `Geography for Australian Youth,' p. 6:

«Australasia, or Australia, consists of the continent of New Holland, or Australia, the island of Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, and the islands of New Zealand.»

[In the map accompanying the above work ` Australia' is printed across the whole continent, and in smaller type `New Holland' stretches along the Western half, and ` New South Wales' along the whole of the Eastern.]

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