Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, was the first European to make landfall in Australia and New Zealand during his two voyages in 1642 and 1644. Tasman’s efforts were considered failures by his employer, the Dutch East India Company, but Tasman’s limited exploration of the areas he discovered led other adventurers to join the quest in exploring the elusive Terra Australis, the southern continent. The British Admiralty commissioned James Cook to lead a journey of exploration aboard HMS Endeavour. The ship, a six-gun bark, departed England in 1768 with notable crew members representing scientific interests serving as supernumeraries; botanist Joseph Banks and astronomer Charles Green. Cook’s voyage provided extensive knowledge about Australia and New Zealand. Abel Tasman and James Cook linked Australia and New Zealand together in a bond enduring to this day.
