Dutch Australian Cultural Centre

Sunday 5 April 1722, today 300 years ago

On Easter Sunday 5 April 1722, today 300 years ago, Jacob Roggeveen and his crew were the first Europeans to sight and set foot on an island in the Pacific with very strange statues, that he named Easter Island.

Roggeveen with three ships on behalf of the Dutch West Indien Compagny, discovered the Falkland Island (Terra Belgia), rounded Cape Horn and via Chili's coast went westwards to try to find the famous SouthLandt.

After Easter Island, he went on to "discover" Bora Bora, Samoa and many more islands.

The expedition was in dire straight and limped to Batavia, where they were jailed by the VOC as they were accused of breaking the monopoly of the VOC on the spice trade.

Back in The Netherlands they were re-instated and they were compensated for the loss of their ships.