Early Explorers of Australia
The Aboriginal people of Australia have been living on and caring for the land for at least 40000 years, and probably 80000 or more. Their culture and stories tell of a time when there was an inland sea and giant marsupials roamed the land. The sea and the animals are not just stories: fossil records prove that the stories tell of a time that did exist.
From the late 1400's European people set off to explore the world to find gold, spices and other things that they could use to get rich. They thought that there must be a large land to the south to balance the large lands in the northern hemisphere. They called this "Terra australis incognita" (The unknown south land).
Below are links to pages that have information about the early European exploration and mapping of Australia. Captain Cook DID NOT discover Australia. Many other Europeans had found and mapped parts of Australia before 1770.
From the late 1400's European people set off to explore the world to find gold, spices and other things that they could use to get rich. They thought that there must be a large land to the south to balance the large lands in the northern hemisphere. They called this "Terra australis incognita" (The unknown south land).
Below are links to pages that have information about the early European exploration and mapping of Australia. Captain Cook DID NOT discover Australia. Many other Europeans had found and mapped parts of Australia before 1770.
ABC Splash has film and sound about Captain Cook and other explorers. You may need headphones to listen.
|
Australian Explorers. This site was made by a teacher to support children looking for easy to understand information about explorers. |
Captain Cook. This interactive site has maps and important information about each voyage. It also tells you about Captain Cook's family. |
BBC Historic Figures. This site has a one page outline of Captain Cook. Other pages have information about other people from history. |