In history of geographical opening with names of Netherlanders one more page is connected. It will be a question of Australia. The hypothesis about existence in southern hemisphere of unknown continent, as is known, has arisen still in ancient times. It has affirmed in Renaissance. Especially actively in its protection the physicists believing acted, that presence of considerable weight of a land in southern hemisphere is caused by the balance law. This representation has found the reflexion in maps of XVI century. First such cards with the unknown continent designated on them still have been prepared by Flemish cartographers. In 1570 В"the world TheatreВ" - the collection from 53 cards for the first time accompanied by detailed geographical texts was published. Has prepared it Abraham Ortely. (On cards to the south from tropic of Capricorn the extensive territory of prospective continent has been for the first time put. Idea about existence of such continent Flemish cartographer Merkator (has supported also present his name - Gerard van Kremer). It has embodied this hypothesis in "Atlas" which has been published in a year after his death. Giving such name to geographical product, Merkator used a name of the Atlas-mythical of the king of the Libya which for the first time have made ostensibly a celestial globe. By the way, atlases from easy hand Merkatora geographers began to name the systematised meetings of cards.

To Open coast of Southern continent and by that to confirm fidelity of an existing hypothesis it was possible Dutch morehodam. They named the found out earths New Holland unlike the New Netherlands - their colonies in America.

In 1606 the Dutch seafarer Bill JAnszon has passed along southern coast of New Guinea and has opened the western coast of peninsula Cape York peninsula. It was the first approach of Dutches to Southern continent. In 1616 the crew of the Netherlands ship "Endraht" which captain was Dirk Hartog, has casually found out the unfamiliar earth-western which has opened before it continent coast. Unfortunately, the logbook "Endrahta" has got lost, and any time opening remains to unknown persons. However after all the same there were the proofs which are throwing light on this travel to coast of the far and unknown earth, and among them-relics, connected with travel Dirka Hartoga, stored in the State museum of Amsterdam. It is the tin plate, which D.Hartog in commemoration of disembarkation to the island named later his name, has attached to the pole left there. The plate was found out in February, 1697 by other Dutch expedition under command of captain Flaminga. The inscription on it specifies, that the ship "Endraht" has arrived on unknown island on October, 25th, 1616, and on October, 27th the same year has left on the north.

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