25/10/2016
Today is the most important date of the Dirk Hartog 2016 year—the exact anniversary of Dirk Hartog's landfall in Shark Bay, Western Australia 400 years ago! Celebrations have been taking place across the year, and today especially.
Today this historical event was celebrated with commemorations on both Dirk Hartog Island and in Denham, WA, marking the final day of the week-long Shark Bay 1616 Festival.
Honorary Consul of the Netherlands Arnold Stroobach travelled to Dirk Hartog Island, where he spoke about the significance of the event. Stroobach said: "It’s an immense privilege to be able to stand here on Dirk Hartog Island today on the very day Dirk Hartog landed on the West Australian coastline four hundred years ago." At Cape Inscription on Dirk Hartog Island, new replica copies of Dirk Hartog’s flattened pewter dish, and the dish that replaced it in 1697 by Willem de Vlamingh have been unveiled along with new interpretive panels at the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage.
In Denham, the redeveloped foreshore was opened and a commemorative sculpture by the name of ‘Union’ has been unveiled. Colonel Harold Jacobs, Defence Attaché of the Netherlands for Australia and New Zealand, attended these festivities. Jacobs said: "There is no doubt that this remarkable anniversary year has further strengthened the friendship between our countries."
The activities that have taken place throughout this Dirk Hartog year have demonstrated the strong and close relationship between Australia and the Netherlands time and again. With the upcoming royal visit by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima just a few days away, there will be plenty more opportunities to showcase our past, present and growing ties.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Australia would like to thank everyone that has been involved with all Dirk Hartog events throughout Australia, in particular the Dirk Hartog 2016 Advisory Board. We’re truly honoured to see the amount of work people have put in this year, to mark our history and celebrate our future.
To read more about Dirk Hartog and the celebration events from across the year, head to https://www.dirkhartog2016.nl/
