How did Abel Tasman’s map of New Zealand change life for the Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa?
On 24th November 1642, Abel Janszoon Tasman was known to be the first European explorer to discover New Zealand in history. Have you ever wondered if things would take a different turn if it weren't for Abel Tasman's map of where the slightest idea New Zealand was? Would Captain Cook’s visit still be an impact on the Tangata whenua of Aotearoa?People used to think that there was a possibility of there being a huge piece of land in the southern hemisphere. Therefore Abel Janszoon Tasman was sent out to investigate the soon to be New Zealand in 1642. Able Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages in 1642 and 1644.
Tasman was given two small ships for the expedition, the “Heemskerck” and the “Zeehaen”. As Tasman was sailing his ship to the northern end of D’Urville Island, Although he already suspected the existence of a strait ahead of him. Bad weather prevented him from investigating that particular area so he sailed North. Tasman named his discovery ( NZ ) Staten Landt in honour of the States General.
With Tasman’s mapping skills, he drew only partially of the New Zealand map because He didn't explore the rest of New Zealand but was able to roughly draw on his map where it was. He drew two charts, and in 1646 the narrow islands of New Zealand was shown on a world map for the first time.
This evidence that there was land, was enough for the people in England and Europe to get excited and wanted to complete the rest of the map, since Tasman did not explore the rest of New Zealand this left a big gap in the mapping history. This then guided Captain Cook coming to New Zealand 127 years later after Tasman. 1769, he too had reached New Zealand and sailed around, making the first complete outline of the coasts. This was evidence that the country was not part of a larger land mass. Cook and his crew landed Poverty Bay two days later on 8th October. He drew accurate maps and wrote about the Maori people.
There are still some major questions people of New Zealand are debating about. Whether it's good or bad we aren't entirely sure. If Abel Tasman hadn't found New Zealand and left the map of where the country was, would Captain Cook still be the one that would find the rest of New Zealand?
Tasman played a small part in our history and there are still many people that don't know his achievements. He may have only just set the scene for Captain Cook’s even greater success, but discovering Tasmania and then New Zealand was an amazing discovery. It was Tasman who opened the way for the European history of New Zealand.
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