BLUNDER DOWN UNDER

In 1770, Captain James Cook, right, landed on the east coast of an unknown southern land, claiming it for the British. In fact, the Dutch had got there first. In 1606, the Duyfken, captained by Willem Janszoon, encountered a swampy land with unfriendly people and he quickly said farewell to Australia.

Dutch sailors continued to sail along the coastline but didn’t bother to visit as they believed it to be a useless desert with no commercial benefit.