Eendrachtsland
Map on title page of 1626 publication showing t'Landt d'Eendracht: title page | |
| Language(s) | Dutch |
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| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Dutch |
| Word/name | Eendracht |
| Meaning | Land of the Eendracht |
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Eendrachtsland or Eendraghtsland (fully het Landt van d'Eendracht and Land van de Eendracht) are obsolete geographical names for an area centred on the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Between 1616 and 1644, during the European Age of Exploration, Eendraghtsland was also a name for the entire Australian mainland. From 1644, it and the surrounding areas were known as New Holland (and, much later, as Western Australia).
In 1616, Dirk Hartog, captain of the Dutch East India Company ship Eendracht, encountered the west coast of the Australian mainland, meeting it close to the 26th parallel south latitude (26° south), near what is now known as Dirk Hartog Island in Western Australia.: 119 After leaving the island, Eendracht sailed in a northeastern direction along the coast of the mainland, Hartog charting as he went. He gave this land the name het Landt van d'Eendracht, Eendrachtsland in short, after his ship Eendracht (translated as 'unity' or 'concord').