Jave La Grande's east coast: from Nicholas Vallard's atlas, 1547. This is part of an 1856 copy of one of the Dieppe Maps. Copy held by the National Library of Australia.

Although most historians hold that the European discovery of Australia began in 1606 with the voyage of the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon on board the Duyfken, a number of alternative theories have been put forward. Precedence of discovery has been claimed for China, Portugal, France, Spain and even Phoenicia. One of the better supported of these theories is the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia. Image File history File links Australia_first_map. ... Image File history File links Australia_first_map. ... The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. ... Willem Janszoon (c. ... Duyfken Duyfken (little dove in English) was a small Dutch ship that sailed from the Indonesian island of Banda in 1606 in search of gold and trade opportunities on Nova Guinea (now Papua New Guinea). ... Phoenicia (or Phenicia ,[1] from Biblical Phenice [1]) was an ancient civilization centered in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coast of modern day Lebanon and Syria. ...

The theory

The theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia in 1521 to 1524 is regarded by some writers as resting on several tenets.^[1][2] These are;

• The existence of a large landmass called Jave La Grande, shown between Indonesia and Antarctica on a group of French world maps, the Dieppe maps, which carry French, Portuguese, and Gallicized Portuguese placenames and which by various means can be interpreted to look similar to Australia's northwestern and eastern coasts.
• The presence of the Portuguese in the whole of the Southeast Asian region from the early 16th century, especially their discovery and later colonization of Timor - less than 500 kilometres from the Australian coast - in 1516.^[3]
• Various antiquities and unsolved mysteries found on Australian and New Zealand's coastlines, that may relate to early European voyages to Australia

The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Timor is an island at the south end of the Malay Archipelago, divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, part of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara with the surface of 11,883 sq mi (30,777 km²). The name is a variant of timur...

Kenneth McIntyre and development of the theory

The development of the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia owes much to Melbourne lawyer Kenneth McIntyre's 1977 book, The Secret Discovery of Australia; Portuguese ventures 200 years before Cook. Although there have been previous writers on this topic,^{[4] [5] [6]} it was McIntyre’s book that developed the theory more or less to the point it is popularly understood in Australia today. McIntyre's book was reprinted in an abridged paperback edition in 1982 and again in 1987^[7] and it was found on school history reading lists by the mid 1980s.^[8] According to Dr. Tony Disney, McIntyre's theory influenced a generation of History teachers in Australian schools.^[9] A TV documentary was made of the book in the 1980s ^[10] and McIntyre and the theory featured in many positive newspaper reviews and articles over the next twenty years.^[11] Australian History school textbooks also reflect the evolution of acceptance of his theories.^[12] The support of Dr. Helen Wallis, Curator of Maps at the British Library during her visits to Australia in the 1980s seemed to add academic weight to McIntyre's theory.^[13] In 1987, the respected Australian Minister for Science, Barry Jones, launching the Second Mahogany Ship Symposium in Warrnambool, said "I read Kenneth McIntyre's important book… as soon as it appeared in 1977. I found its central argument… persuasive, if not conclusive"^[14]. The appearance of variant but essentially supporting theories in the late 1970s and early 1980s by other writers, including Ian McKiggan^[15] and Lawrence Fitzgerald^[16] also added credence to the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia. This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... History of Australia before 1901 Main article: History of Australia before 1901 Australia has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, since the remote ancestors of the current Australian Aboriginal people arrived from Southeast Asia. ... British Library main building, London The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Barry Owen Jones AO (born October 11, 1932, Geelong, Victoria) is an Australian polymath, writer, lawyer, social activist, and former politician. ... The Mahogany Ship refers to a supposed wrecked Portuguese caravel or Chinese junk that is purported to lie beneath the sand approximately six miles west of Warrnambool in southwest Victoria, Australia. ... Warrnambool is a regional city of 29,500 people on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia, located in the municipality City of Warrnambool. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ...

Interpretation of the Dieppe Maps

Main article: Dieppe maps

The central plank of the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia suggests the continent called "Jave La Grande", that uniquely appears on a series of 16th century French world maps, the Dieppe school of maps, represents Australia. Speaking in 1982, Kenneth McIntyre described the Dieppe maps as "the only evidence of Portuguese discovery of Eastern Australia". He stressed this to point out "that the Mahogany Ship, and the Geelong Keys, and other things of that sort, are not part of the proof that the Portuguese discovered Australia. It is the other way around. The Dieppe maps prove (sic) that the Portuguese discovered Australia, and this throws a fierce bright light on our mysteries such as the Mahogany Ship"^[17] Later writers on the same topic take the same approach of concentrating primaily on "Jave La Grande" as it appears in the Dieppe maps, including Fitzgerald, McKiggan and most recently, Peter Trickett.^[18] Critics of the theory of Portuguese Discovery of Australia, including A. Ariel, M. Pearson and W.A.R. Richardson, also concentrate on the "Jave la Grande" landmass of the Dieppe maps. The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ... The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... The Mahogany Ship refers to a supposed wrecked Portuguese caravel or Chinese junk that is purported to lie beneath the sand approximately six miles west of Warrnambool in southwest Victoria, Australia. ... The Geelong Keys are a set of keys discovered in 1845 or 1846 by Governor Charles La Trobe at Corio Bay in Victoria, Australia. ... The Mahogany Ship refers to a supposed wrecked Portuguese caravel or Chinese junk that is purported to lie beneath the sand approximately six miles west of Warrnambool in southwest Victoria, Australia. ...

"Jave la Grande" as it appears on the Dieppe world maps is widely agreed to be at least partly based on Portuguese sources that no longer exist^[19]. McIntyre attributed discrepancies between the "Jave la Grande" coastline and Australia's to the difficulties of accurately recording positions without a reliable method of determining longitude, and the techniques used to convert maps to different projections. In the late 1970s, mathematician Ian McKiggan developed his theory of exponential longitude error theory to explain discrepancies,^[20] although he modified this position after a public exchange of opinion with W.A.R. Richardson.^[21]McIntyre's own theory about distortion of the maps and the calculations used to correct the maps has also been challenged.^{[22] [23]} Both Lawrence Fitzgerald and Peter Trickett argue the Dieppe maps "Jave la Grande" is based on Portuguese sea charts, now lost, which the mapmakers of Dieppe misaligned. Both these writers try to compare the coastal features of "Jave La Grande" with modern Australia's, by realigning them. Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Longitude is the east-west geographic coordinate measurement most commonly utilized in cartography and global navigation. ... A map projection is any of many methods used in cartography (mapmaking) to represent the two-dimensional curved surface of the earth or other body on a plane. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. ...

Cristóvão de Mendonça's role

The Vallard map, with part of it rotated at 90 degrees, and the claimed locations by Peter Trickett in Beyond Capricorn

Cristóvão de Mendonça is known from a small number of Portuguese sources, noteably the famous Portuguese historian João de Barros in Décadas da Ásia (Decades of Asia), a history of the growth of the Portuguese Empire in India and Asia, published between 1552-1615. Mendonça appears in Barros' account with instructions to search for Magellan, and later Marco Polo's legendary Isles of Gold. However Mendonça and other Portuguese sailors are then described as assisting with the construction of a fort at Pedir (Sumatra) and Barros does not mention the expedition again.^[24][25] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Dieppe map which is referred to in the book as being the eastern coast of Australia. ... Cristóvão de Mendonça was a Portuguese explorer and statesman living around 1500. ... João de Barros (pron. ... An anachronous map of the Portuguese Empire (1415-1999). ... For the Presidential railcar named Ferdinand Magellan, see Ferdinand Magellan Railcar. ... Marco Polo (September 15, 1254[1] – January 9, 1324 at earliest but no later than June 1325[2]) was a Venetian trader and explorer who gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book Il Milione (The Million or The Travels of Marco Polo). ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ...

McIntyre nominated Cristóvão de Mendonça as the commander of a voyage to Australia c.1521-1524, one he argued had to be kept secret because of the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the undiscovered world into two halves for Portugal and Spain. Barros and other Portuguese sources do not mention a discovery of land that could be Australia, but McIntyre conjectured this was because original documents were lost in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake,^[26] or the official policy of silence. Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Cantino planisphere of 1502 depicting the meridian designated by the treaty. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... This 1755 copper engraving shows the ruins of Lisbon in flames and a tsunami overwhelming the ships in the harbor. ...

Most proponents of the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia have supported McIntyre's hypothesis that it was Mendonça who sailed down the eastern Australian coast and provided charts which found their way onto the Dieppe maps, to be included as "Jave la Grande" in the 1540, 1550s and 1560s. McIntyre claimed the maps indicated Mendonça went as far south as Port Fairy, Victoria;^[27] Fitzgerald claims they show he went as far as Tasmania;^[28] Trickett states as far as Spencer Gulf in South Australia^[29], and New Zealand's North Island.^[30] Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ... Port Fairy is a town in Victoria, Australia. ... VIC redirects here. ... Slogan or Nickname: Island of Inspiration; The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product... Spencer Gulf is the westernmost of two large inlets on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ...

Alternative views

Possibly because of the degree of conjecture involved in the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia, there have been a number of critics. By far the most prolific writer on this theory, and also its most consistent critic, has been Flinders University Associate Professor W.A.R (Bill) Richardson, who has written 20 articles relating to the topic since 1983. ^[31] As Richardson, an academic fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, first approached the Dieppe maps in an effort to prove they did relate to Portuguese discovery of Australia, his criticisms are all the more interesting. He suggests he quickly realised there was no connection between the Dieppe maps and modern Australia's coastline. Flinders University, or The Flinders University of South Australia, is a public university in Adelaide, founded in 1966. ... The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ... The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ...

He dismisses the claim that Cristóvão de Mendonça sailed down the east coast of Australia as sheer speculation, based on voyages about which no details have survived.^[33] In the same way, the re-assembling of sections of the "Jave La Grande" coastline so that it fits the straightjacket of the real outline of Australia relies upon a second set of assumptions. He argues taking that approach, "Jave La Grande" could be re-assembled to look like anything.^[34] Cristóvão de Mendonça was a Portuguese explorer and statesman living around 1500. ...

Another dimension of the argument Richardson advances against the theory relates to methodology. Richardson argues McIntyre's practice of re-drawing sections of maps in his book was misleading because in an effort to clarify he actually omitted crucial features and names that did not support the Portuguese discovery theory.^[35] Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ...

Richardson's own view is that a study of placenames (toponymy) on "Jave La Grande" identifies it as unmistakably connected to the coasts of southern Java and Indochina. Toponymy is the taxonomic study of toponyms (place-names), their origins and their meanings. ... This article is about the Java island. ... Indochina 1886 Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. ...

The most damning criticism of McIntyre's theory has come from Captain A. Ariel's short article, which demonstrates serious errors by McIntyre in his understanding of measuring "erration" in longitude. Ariel concludes that The Secret Discovery of Australia is a " monumental piece of misinterpretation."^[36] Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ...

In 2005, Historian Michael Pearson made the following comment on the Dieppe maps as evidence of a Portuguese discovery of Australia;

The Dieppe maps are a set of maps produced in Dieppe, France in the 16th century, thought to provide clues towards Portuguese exploration of Australia two hundred years before Captain Cook. ... Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia). ... Terra Australis is the large continent on the bottom of the map Terra Australis (also: Terra Australis Incognita, Latin for the unknown land of the South) was an imaginary continent, appearing on European maps from the 15th to the 18th century. ...

Secondary evidence in support of the theory

Mahogany Ship

Main article: Mahogany Ship

According to McIntyre, the remains of one of Cristóvão de Mendonça's caravels was discovered in 1836 by a group of shipwrecked whalers while walking along the sand dunes to the nearest settlement, Port Fairy. The men came across the wreck of a ship made of wood that appeared to be mahogany. Between 1836 and 1880, 27 different people recorded that they had seen an "ancient" or "Spanish" wreck. Whatever it was, the wreck has not been seen since 1880 despite extensive searches in recent times.^[38] McIntyre's accuracy in transcribing original documents to support his argument has been criticized by some recent writers.^[39] The Mahogany Ship refers to a supposed wrecked Portuguese caravel or Chinese junk that is purported to lie beneath the sand approximately six miles west of Warrnambool in southwest Victoria, Australia. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Cristóvão de Mendonça was a Portuguese explorer and statesman living around 1500. ... Year 1836 (MDCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Port Fairy is a coastal town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Princes Highway, 28 kilometres west of the Warrnambool, 290 kilometres west of Melbourne, in the Moyne Shire. ... This article is about the timber. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ...

Other textual and cartographic evidence

Title page of Speculum Orbis Terrae, an atlas published in 1593. Kenneth McIntyre argues the animal in the bottom right hand corner is a kangaroo.

Other texts originating from the same era represent a land to the south of New Guinea with a variety of flora and fauna. Part of one of Cornelis De Jode's 1593 maps depicts New Guinea with a hypothetical land to the south inhabited by dragons.^[40][41]. Kenneth McIntyre suggested that although Cornelis de Jode was Dutch the title page of his "Speculum Orbis Terrae" 1593 atlas may provide evidence of early Portuguese knowledge of Australia.^[42] The page depicts four animals. There is a horse to represent Europe, a camel to represent Asia, a lion for Africa, and another animal that resembles a kangaroo to represent another continent. This creature features a marsupial pouch containing two offspring and the characteristically bent hind legs of a kangaroo or one of the family of macropods. However as members of the Macropod family are found in New Guinea and the Bismark Islands (including the Dusky Pademelon, Agile Wallaby and Black Dorcopsis Wallaby) this may have no relevance to a possible Portuguese discovery of Australia.^[43]. Another explanation is that the animal may be based on a North American Opossum.^[44] Image File history File links Speculum_Orbis_Terrae. ... Image File history File links Speculum_Orbis_Terrae. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus antilopinus A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning large foot). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo... For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus antilopinus A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning large foot). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo... This article is about mammals. ... Genera Lagostrophus Dendrolagus Dorcopsis Dorcopsulus Lagorchestes Macropus Onychogalea Petrogale Setonix Thylogale Wallabia Tree kangaroos have smaller ears for easier maneuvering between tree branches, and much longer tail. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Genera Several; see text Opossum fur is quite soft, and was once commonly used in the bathtub as a sponge. ...

The Geelong Keys

Main article: Geelong Keys

In 1847, at Limeburners' Point near Geelong, Victoria, Charles La Trobe, a keen amateur geologist, was examining the shells from a lime kiln when a worker showed him a set of five keys he claimed to have found. La Trobe concluded that the keys were dropped onto the beach around 100-150 years before. Kenneth McIntyre hypothesized they were dropped in 1522 by Mendonça or one of his sailors. Since the keys have been lost, however, their origin cannot be verified. The Geelong Keys are a set of keys discovered in 1845 or 1846 by Governor Charles La Trobe at Corio Bay in Victoria, Australia. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... - - Nickname: City by the Bay Geography Area: 1,240 km² Coordinates: Time Zone UTC +10:00 Population (2003) 200,067 Among Australian cities: Density: persons/km² Political Mayor: Shane Dowling Governing body: City of Greater Geelong Geelong is a port city of 200,067 people (2003 census) located on Corio... VIC redirects here. ... Charles La Trobe (March 20, 1801 - December 4, 1875) was the first lieutenant-governor of the state of Victoria. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ...

Another more likely theory is that the keys were dropped by one of the diggers shortly before being found, as the layer of dirt/shells etc. they were found below was dated as around 2300-2800 years old, making La Trobe's dating implausable. The error by La Trobe is quite understandable according to Geologists Edmund Gill and P.F.B. Alsop, given that in 1847 most people thought the world was only 6000 years old.^[45]

The Carronade Island Cannons

Main article: Carronade Island

Two bronze cannons were found on a small island in Napier Broome Bay, on the coast of Western Australia in 1916. Since these guns were erroneously thought to be carronades, the small island was named "Carronade Island".^[46][47] Carronade Island lies of the northern coast of Western Australia (). See also Theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia Categories: | ... For other uses, see Cannon (disambiguation). ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06)  - Product ($m)  $107,910 (4th)  - Product per capita  $53,134/person... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Carronade Island lies of the northern coast of Western Australia (). See also Theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia Categories: | ...

Kenneth McIntyre believed these cannons gave weight to the theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia.^[48] However, scientists at the Western Australian Museum in Fremantle have recently made a detailed analysis and have determined that these weapons are almost certainly of late 18th century Makassan, rather than European, origin.^[46][47] Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... The Western Australian Museum, Perth. ... “Fremantle” redirects here. ... Location of Makassar in Indonesia Coordinates: , Country Indonesia Province South Sulawesi Government  - Mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin Area  - City 175. ...

Bittangabee Bay

Remains of Bittangabee House, constructed by the Imlay Brothers and abandoned before completion c1844. Claimed by Kenneth McIntyre to be Portuguese and by Gavin Menzies as of Chinese construction.

Kenneth McIntyre first suggested the stone ruins at Bittangabee Bay were of Portuguese origin in 1977^[49]. Bittangabee Bay is located in Ben Boyd National Park near Eden on the south coast of New South Wales. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Gavin Menzies Gavin Menzies (b. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Ben Boyd is a national park in New South Wales (Australia), 382 km south of Sydney. ... Eden (postcode 2551. ... NSW redirects here. ...

The ruins are the foundations of a building, surrounded by stone rubble that McIntyre argued may have once formed a defensive wall. McIntyre also identified the date 15?4 carved into a stone.^[50] McIntyre hypothesized the crew of a Portuguese caravel may have built a stone blockhouse and defensive wall while wintering on a voyage of discovery down Australias east coast. Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... Caravela Latina / Latin Caravel Caravela Redonda / Square-rigged Caravel A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable, two or three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish for long voyages of exploration beginning in the 15th century. ...

Since McIntyre advanced his theory in 1977, significant research on the site has been conducted by Michael Pearson, former Historian for the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.^[51] Pearson identified the Bittangabee Bay ruins as having been built as a store house by the Imlay brothers, early European inhabitants, who had whaling and pastoral interests in the Eden area. The local Protector of Aborigines, George Augustus Robinson, wrote about the commencement of the building in July 1844. The building was left unfinished at the time of the death of two of the three brothers in 1846 and 1847. Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ... The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is part of the Department of Environment and Climate Change - the main government conservation agency in New South Wales, Australia. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... George Augustus Robinson always wore a wig. ...

Other visitors and writers including Lawrence Fitzgerald^[52] have been unable to find the 15?4 date. Writing in Beyond Capricorn in 2007, Peter Trickett suggests the date McIntyre saw may be random pick marks in the stonework.^[53] The Dieppe map which is referred to in the book as being the eastern coast of Australia. ... Kenneth Gordon McIntyre OBE (August 22, 1910–May 20, 2004) was an Australian lawyer and historian, perhaps best well known for his controversial book MacIntyre was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1910 and graduated from Geelong College as Dux of the School in 1926. ...

Trickett accepts Pearson’s work, but hypothesizes the Imlays may have started their building on top of a ruined Portuguese structure, thus explaining the surrounding rocks and partly dressed stones. Trickett also suggests the original Indigenous Australian name for the area may have Portuguese origins.^[54] Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ...

Sign showing the layout of the 1844 ruins at Bittangabee Bay.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 404 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (430 × 638 pixel, file size: 87 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken 26 Feb 2006. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 404 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (430 × 638 pixel, file size: 87 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken 26 Feb 2006. ...

References

Alexander Dalrymple (July 24, 1737 - June 19, 1808 was a Scottish geographer. ... George Collingridge (1847-1931) was an Australian historian best known today for his early assertions of Portuguese presence Australia in th 16th century. ... La Trobe University is a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia. ... The University of Melbourne, is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. ... The Dieppe map which is referred to in the book as being the eastern coast of Australia. ...

External links

• Pearson, M. Great Southern Land; The Maritime Exploration of Terra Australis Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005. ISBN 0642551855 at
• The National Library of Australia's Gateway site on exploration of Australia
• Images of the Vallard atlas (1547) at the Huntington Library
• Desceliers map (1550) at the British Library
• Desliens map(1566) reproduction at the National Library of Australia
• Asia in the Eyes of Europe, by Donald F.Lach. University of Chicago Library, 1991
• Joan Fawcett. Richard Osburne and the 'Mahogany Ship'.