Aboriginal people in northern Australia met and traded with people from other lands hundreds of years before the British invasion – and a new education program explores some of this history as it marks the 25th anniversary of the Duyfken replica at Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Museum.
The new curriculum-aligned education resource offers an interactive experience for primary school children, including online resources and onsite excursion activities, detailing the Duyfken’s historic landing at Cape Keerweer in 1606. It will be released in early February to coincide with the start of the 2024 school year.
“This immersive experience will give students a sense of what life was like on board a tall ship and how different parts of the vessel were used for sailing, navigating, and transporting cargo,” the Museum’s Head of Education Matthew Sloane told EducationDaily.
“The multi-sensory workshop will involve handling replica objects from Dutch sailors, identifying spices that were once worth more than gold, interpreting maps, and using First Nations message sticks to share stories about reconciliation.”
The Dutch came…the Dutch left
The new resource tells the story of the first known European contact between traders aboard the Duyfken from the Dutch East India Company and the Wik people of Northern Australia. It approaches the story from both the ship and the shore perspective, ensuring that a balanced view of the contact, and eventual repulsion of the Dutch, is available in every Australian classroom.
The Dutch East India Company was a wealthy colonial power that traded goods, such as spices, around the world in the 16th century. The Duyfken tall ship, captained by Willem Janszoon, was part of its fleet and made a southern voyage from Indonesia to look for new territory and resources. It made landfall on the western side of Cape York Peninsula in 1606 and mapped 300km of coastline.
Learning more about the Wik people of Northern Australia
The Wik people are the traditional custodians of Country in Cape York Peninsula and had a physical and spiritual connection to the land, sea and sky of the region for tens of thousands of years.
The Duyfken’s arrival is the first documented meeting between Europeans and First Nations Australians. Knowledge of the encounter comes from stories passed down through generations of Wik people, and diaries from later Dutch sailors.
Although the initial encounter is believed to have been amicable, conflict ensued when the Dutch tried to kidnap Wik people. It is not known how many Wik people died but half the Duyfken crew were killed in the encounter. The Dutch named the place Cape Keerweer, meaning Cape ‘turn back’ in English.
Directly linked to the year four History content in the Australian Curriculum and the First Contacts unit in the NSW History Syllabus, this interactive resource details the little-known history of the first recorded encounter between Europeans and the First Nations people of Australia, providing young students with important context of the contact with Australia by multiple European powers preceding the invasion of Captain Cook on the HMB Endeavour.
Australian film-makers offer a hands-on experience
The Museum has commissioned Tasmanian-based film company, Roar Film, to create a series of educational audio and visual storytelling resources, ideal for the classroom, which make up a unit of work designed to aid students in understanding the impact of this first encounter to Australian History.
“What transpired in 1606 in the Cape York Peninsula between the Wik people and the crew of the Duyfken is a largely unknown moment in this continent’s history,” says Australian National Maritime Museum CEO Daryl Karp.
“The creation of this curriculum resource will enable future generations of Australian children to learn more about our shared history. The 25th anniversary of the launch of the Duyfken replica seemed a fitting opportunity to announce this next phase of the history of that 1606 meeting.”
This online unit of work will also feature an in-depth virtual tour of the Duyfken, with facts about the ship’s features, crew, and voyages, as well as information and resources about the Wik peoples and other First Nations traditions, cultures, and experiences with the Dutch.
Understanding ocean science and maritime history
Teachers and students will be able to access this resource and book Duyfken excursions on the Australian National Maritime Museum website from February.
In addition to the new excursion and resource, Mr Sloane says the Maritime Museum offers a unique combination of opportunities for schools on its wharf, in its exhibitions and education centre.
“There are tours available on the replica HMB Endeavour – another curriculum-linked topic – and students can board navy vessels including the HMAS Onslow submarine and HMAS Destroyer,” he told EducationDaily.
“Our exhibitions, such as Shaped by the Sea and Passengers cover science and history content, and there are always exciting travelling exhibitions, such as Ocean Photographer of the Year that can be included in a school visit.”
Because the Duyfken replica is a functioning vessel, Mr Sloace told EducationDaily that all the necessary working parts are still onboard.
“It sails to boat festivals, such as the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart in 2023, and it regularly does Sydney Harbour sails throughout the year. Visitors can go on board the vessel while it is docked at the Museum wharf and hear about the history of the vessel from a member of our volunteer team,” he says.
Digital technology brings the past to life
Mr Sloace told EducationDaily that the multi-media approach was chosen to provide an engaging and educational experience for all students. The digital resources utilised in the new excursion include an animation about the encounter, a virtual 360° tour of the vessel, an interactive map, a deep fake of Willem Janszoon, and three videos featuring the Museum’s Indigenous Program Manager, Matt Poll. The package can be used to consolidate learning at school or as an outreach resource by schools around Australia.
“There’s something for everyone,” he says.
“Through these activities, we hope that students will take away a deeper respect of, and admiration for, Aboriginal culture, a richer understanding of Australian history, and the meaning and importance of reconciliation in our country.”
