1659day.year
Abel Tasman
(1603 - 1659)
Dutch merchant and explorer
Dutch merchant and explorer
Explorer who first mapped parts of Australasia.
Abel Tasman was a Dutch seafarer who sailed for the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century.
He is best known for his voyages that led to the European discovery of Tasmania, New Zealand, and Fiji.
His expeditions greatly expanded the geographic knowledge of the Southern Hemisphere.
Tasman’s meticulous mapping and charts were used by navigators for generations.
Despite limited contact with indigenous peoples, his journeys opened the region to further exploration.
He is remembered as a pioneering figure in the age of discovery.
1659
Abel Tasman