On 29 December 1696, de Vlamingh's party landed on Rottnest Island. He saw numerous quokkas (a native marsupial), and thinking they were large rats he named it 't Eylandt 't Rottenest ("Rats' Nest Island").

Jun 13, 2021 · Willem Hesselsz de Vlamingh (bapt. 28 November 1640 – 1698 or later) was a Dutch sea captain who explored the central west coast of Australia (then "New Holland") in the late 17th century. The mission proved fruitless, but …

The monument commemorates Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, who landed at Rottnest Island in 1696. Vlamingh was sent out with three ships in May 1696 from Holland to look for survivors of a ship which was thought to have been wrecked on the west coast of Australia.

Aug 31, 2024 · Vlamingh has often been credited with naming the island but the name Rats nest (Rottenest) was actually made in the log of the Nyjptangh. De Vlamingh's log talks about the island as follows: 'I felt great pleasure in admiring the island, which is a very pleasant place.

Jun 1, 2024 · This interactive memorial not only commemorates de Vlamingh’s arrival at the Swan River but also celebrates his contributions to Western Australia’s geography, including naming iconic locations such as Rottnest Island and the Swan River.

Mar 11, 2023 · On 29 December 1696, De Vlamingh’s party landed on Rottnest Island. He saw numerous quokkas, and thinking they were large rats he named it ‘t Eylandt ‘t Rottenest (“Rats’ Nest Island”). He afterwards wrote of it in his journal:

Willem de Vlamingh (flourished 1697), a native of Vlieland, Holland, and a skipper of the Dutch East India Co., was sent out with three ships in May 1696 from Holland to look for survivors of a ship which was thought to have been wrecked on the west coast of Australia.

In December 1696, Willem De Vlamingh landed at Rottnest Island. Here he saw many Quokkas. Having never seen these animals before, De Vlamingh described them as large rats and named the island, Rats Nest Island.

The memorial commemorates tricentenary of the visit of Willem de Vlamingh to the island in 1697. The plaque also acknowledges the visit to the island by Dirk Hartog in 1616.

It was sighted in 1658 by a Dutch party under Samuel Volkerson, and in 1696 a Dutch sea captain, Willem de Vlamingh, gave the island its original name, Rottenest (meaning “rat’s nest”), because the place appeared to be infested with large rats.