Local Government
Shark Bay
Region
Gascoyne
Cape Inscription Dirk Hartog Island
Dirk Hartog Island
Shark Bay
Gascoyne
Constructed from 1616, Constructed from 1697
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
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| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 12 Dec 1997 | Category 1 | |
The inscription posts at Cape Inscription have high historic significance for their connection with the first documented European landings on the Australian continent.
Set high on a rocky cliff on the north west tip of Dirk Hartog Island are two timber posts. The original inscription plates have been removed for safe keeping. This site is in close proximity to the Cape Inscription Lighthouse and Quarters. A plaque on the lighthouse documents the history of the inscription posts.
On the 26 October, 1616 Dirk Hartog, Dutch navigator, landed in the vicinity of Dirk Hartog Island. He had sailed from Amsterdam on the Dutch trading ship 'Eendracht' and marked the place of his landfall at Cape Inscription by the erection of an inscribed pewter plate, nailed to a timber post. In 1697, Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, in the ship 'Geelvink', searching for the ship 'Ridderschap van Holland', recorded the areas of the Swan River, Rottnest Island and subsequently landed at Cape Inscription. He found the pewter plate erected by Dirk Hartog and delivered it to the Dutch authorities. Vlamingh erected another memorial plaque in the same location, recording his own visit and Dirk Hartog's original visit. (Sources: Carmody, R.W., "Shark Bay - Its Story, 1616-1969", Thesis for the Teachers' Higher Certificate, 1970, Perth. p6. Stanbury, M., "Historic Sites in Shark Bay", Western Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle. p. 1 McCarthy, M., The 'Gascoyne Coast' suggestions for Cartographic Services Branch, DOLA., Western Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle, 1992.)
Integrity: High Degree
Good
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| RW Carmody; "Shark Bay, 1616-1969",P.6 | Thesis for Teacher's Higher Certificate | 1970 | |
| M Stanbury; "Historic Site in Shark Bay ". P.1 | Department of Maritime Archeaology, WA Maritime Museum, Fremantle WA |
Historic Site
| Epoch | General | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Original Use | OTHER | Other |
| General | Specific |
|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC SETTLEMENT & MOBILITY | Exploration & surveying |
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