Talk:European exploration of Australia

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[edit] Proposed merge

Strongly agreed, and happy to take on the job. I've had my eye on European Exploration of Australia anyway, as needing some actual text rather than just a list of names. --Skud 07:30, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

I was actually going to place Portuguese Discovery of Australia (PDOA) on Votes for Deletion because it is largely speculative and fallacious (most probably motivated by some sort of Portuguese nationalism). However, seeing that you intended to develop European exploration of Australia, I thought some information could be milked from PDOA and used here. I've let it be for a while because it seemingly distracted a user who was claiming in the Australia article that the continent was discovered by Portugal. Contrary to PDOA's claims, most historians do not regard this to be true. Anyways, I monitor (almost) all Australian history article's, so I'll see if I can help you out in your efforts about-the-place.--Cyberjunkie | Talk 08:02, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
OK, have taken what I like from PDOA... any thoughts on what I ended up with? I'd support a VfD on PDOA now, if you proposed it (though I'd grab a copy of that bibliography for myself first -- I am interested in the subject ;)) --Skud 08:45, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
It's a great start. As for the bibliography of PDOA, I agree, it is worth recording somewhere. I am going to nominate it for deletion now.--Cyberjunkie | Talk 08:58, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
I agree with the VfD of PDOA. Only Nationalist Portuguese claim as fact the Portuguese discovery of Australia. Academic and scientific Portuguese History only recognizes, at maximum, that there might have been some sightings or coastal explorations and that there are no definitive and convincing proofs (even if some maps at the British Museum raise strange questions). This is just a big "Maybe". I believe the entry on Early European sightings is quite enough (particularly when there are articles on the Mahogany Ship and on the possible explorers). I've added the names of two of those explorers (articles yet to be written). The Ogre 12:30, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
Maybe a reference to the Dieppe Maps should be made. The Ogre 12:41, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
  • I concur that reference to the Dieppe Maps be included in the article should a merger be supported--AYArktos 02:21, 19 July 2005 (UTC)
I've created pages on the Dieppe maps and on George Collingridge, an early proponent of the Portuguese discovery of Australia, and linked them from the PDOA page. --Skud 12:49, 19 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] What I've excluded

I have intentionally excluded the following categories of explorers from this article:

  • explorers of non-European heritage (eg Chinese, but also aboriginal people even when accompanying European expeditions)
  • explorers who explored the Pacific or New Zealand or Antarctica but not Australia itself
  • settlers who did not actually do any new exploring (eg John Batman)
  • government officials (eg Governors of the colonies) even if they instigated exploration

However, I've put a section on naturalists associated with the European exploration of Australia, so I see no strong reason why similar sections on settlers and government officials couldn't be put there if people felt it was a good idea. And John Batman at least is marginal... I need to know more about him.

--Skud 12:03, 18 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Addition of maps

The table presentation of maps is not effective - it doesn't work with smaller screens. Could they please be more integreated with the text?--A Y Arktos\talk 12:10, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

I've put the maps back without the captions at the moment, spread down the right side of the page. The major difficulty is the tabular style of a lot of the text. Anyone else want to turn the tables into prose? Or do we like tables for some reason? --Scott Davis Talk 12:08, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removed disputed

Explorers of this period:

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by FrancisTyers (talk • contribs) 14 August 2006.

    • Since the definition of Australia probably extends to the TSI, I don't think that the inclusion of Torres is problematic in this article.--Peta 06:26, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
I'd agree, Torres' voyage is not a disputed one, and it seems natural enough to include the TSI and the Strait as being associated with the Australian continent. He's also very often associated with the expl. of Aust. in historical works.--cjllw | TALK 07:51, 14 August 2006 (UTC)