Swedish Crew Members on Dutch Ships 1600s & 1700s
There were Swedish crew members on Dutch ships visiting Australia in 1600s and 1700s.
Solander with Captain Cook 1770
Swedish born Daniel Solander sailed in the Endeavour, as Assistant Botanist under Banks, when Captain Cook mapped the east coast of Australia in 1770.
Discovery of Norfolk Island 1774
Anders Sparrman was, with Johann and George Forster, one of the first Europeans to set foot on Norfolk Island when it was discovered in the course of Cook’s 2nd voyage, in October 1774
Sparrman, A. 1802/1968 Resa till Goda Hopps-udden, Sodra Pol-kretsen och omkring jordklotet, samt till Hottentot-och Caffer-Landen, aren 1772- 76, Stockholm, Carl Delen, 1802; Rediviva, 1968.
Plan to Colonise Australia 1787
Just at the time when the British were preparing to colonise Botany Bay, the Government of Gustavus III of Sweden had agreed to sponsor Wilhelm Bolts proposal for an equivalent colonisation venture in Nuyts Land (South Australia).
The National Archives of Sweden, Stockholm, holds a file on the project: “W. Bolts’ forslag till kolonisation af en ö….1786-1790”, Rigsarkivet, Handel och Sjöfart, 193. The file was cited in an article by Åke W. Essén, “Wilhelm Bolts und die schwedischen Kolonisierungspläne in Asien”, Bijdragen voor vaderlandsche Geschiedenis en Oudheidkunde, 7 (6), 1935, pp. 83-101.
Clas Theodor Odhner, Sveriges politiska historia under Konung Gustaf III:s regering, Stockholm, Norstedt, 1885-1905, Del.2, pp.492-498; ; cited in Carl Sprinchorn, “Sjuttonhundratalets och förslag till Svensk Kolonisation i främmande världsdelar”, Historisk Tidskrift, årg.43, 1923, pp.153-4. also discusses the proposal.
Exploration of Tasmania 1789
A nominally Swedish expedition, sent to explore the north west coast of America, called at and charted Maria Island, a part of southern Tasmania. The vessel concerned was known as the Mercury or Gustaf III and captained by John Henry Cox.
Mortimer, G. 1791 Observations and Remarks Made During a Voyage to the Islands of Teneriffe, Amsterdam, Maria Islands Near Van Dieman’s Land, Author, London.