The Discovery of Australia and Tasmania Greatly Expands the British Empire | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

The Discovery of Australia and Tasmania Greatly Expands the British Empire

Overview

Long after the northern regions of the world were known and occupied, the Southern Hemisphere was still unexplored and obscure. When the Europeans finally were able to build ships that could safely make long voyages, men were sent on arduous and difficult expeditions to explore the area and gain a foothold there. In the East Indies and Southeast Asia, riches, resources, and raw materials abounded that European nations not only needed but wanted. As nations expanded their power and extent, they found a new continent, new islands, and opened new trade routes. The new continent, settled by the British and named for an ancient, non-existent land called Terra australis, became a far flung extension of the British Empire called Australia.

Background

When Europeans began to realize the extent of their own continent, they presumed that a land mass of similar size and weight must lie in the Southern Hemisphere to balance the globe. It was called Terra australis incognita, or the unknown southern land. The idea lay dormant for centuries, for Europeans had no means to reach it. When ship building improved, they ventured out into the seas.

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