Exploring the Pacific and Australia

In the 16th century explorers set out across the Pacific

Alvaro de Mendana de Neira (1542-1595) was a Spanish navigator and discover. he best known for his expeditions in 1567 and 1595 when he discovered the Marqueasa, Cook Islands and Solomons.

Pedro Fernandes de Queiros (1563-1614) was a Portuguese navigator in the service of the Spanish He worked with Neira. In 1605-6 led expedition that crossed the Pacific in search of Terra Australia.

Luis Vaz de Torres (1565-1607)took over Queiros expedition. He was the first European to navigate the strait that separates Australia mainland from the island of New Guinea. (Torres Strait named after him

Abel Tasman (1603-1659) was Dutch seafarer,explorer and merchant. Working for the Dutch East india Company (DEIC) he was the first European to reach New Zealand and the islands of Fiji and Tasmania. by circumnavigating Australia he proved that the fifth continent was not joined to any other larger continent. (Read legacy for the many place named after him.)

Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer in the British Navy. Between 1768-79 he made 3 voyages to the Pacific Ocean and Australia ( first to see kangaroos ) recorded first circumnavigation of New Zealand.
He was the first to cross the Antarctic Circle and sailed right round the South Pole.
At the end of his third voyage he returned to Hawaii where he was killed.
(Read Death and Aftermath))

Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de La Perouse (1741-1788) was a French naval officer and explorer. In 1785 he was appointed to lead a scientific expedition around the world using the ships Boussole and Asrolabe. He visited 8 countries before being wrecked on the reefs of Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands. He had earlier material back to Europe which resulted in pictorial atlas (1798).
( Wrecks of the 2 ships found in 1828 on the Santa Cruz Islands)

Charles Napier Sturt (1795-1869) was a British officer and explorer. led several expeditions into the interior of the Australian continent starting from Sydney and later Adelaide.

Edward John Eyre (1815-1901) was an English land explorer he went on 2 expeditions - north to the Flinders Ranges and west beyond Ceduna, plus reaching a lake that was later named Lake Eyre in his honour. With Wylie, an aboriginal. he traversed the coastline of the Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor Plain in
1840-1

John McDouall Stuart (1815-1866) was a Scottish explorer. He led the first successful
expedition south to north and return of Australia.

Burke and Wills expedition 1860-1 task was to cross Australia - 3,250 kms with 19 men and 26 camels The expedition was a disaster ( read notes and legacy).

Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) is noted for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947 when he travelled 8,000 kms in a hand built boat raft.