Vlamingh's Needle Traditional Cache

Vlamingh's Needle

Willem de Vlamingh (born 28 November 1640) was a Dutch sea-captain who explored the southwest coast of Australia (then "New Holland") in the late 17th century.

In 1696 de Vlamingh's expedition left Amsterdam to chart the south-west coast of New Holland to aid navigation on the Indian Ocean route from African Cape. There were three ships under his command: the frigate De Geelvinck, captained by de Vlamingh himself; the hooker De Nijptang, under Captain Gerrit Collaert; and the galiot Weseltje, under Captain Cornelis de Vlamingh, son Willem de Vlamingh. The expedition departed Amsterdam on 2 May 1696

• On December 29, 1696, he discovered Rottnest Island. He named the island from the number of rats (actually the native marsupial quokkas), observed.

• On January 10, 1697, he discovered the Swan River. He named the river after the Black Swans which he observed in large numbers.

• On February 4 1697, he landed at Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia, and replaced Dirk Hartog’s pewter plate with one bearing a record of both visits. The original plate is preserved in the Rijksmuseum.

De Vlamingh's name is preserved in the names of a number of geographical features in Western Australia.