Estonians arrived on the west coast of Australia long before Captain James Cook landed at Botany Bay in 1770. As history reveals, Estonian sailors were onboard the three ship expedition led by Dutch sea captain Willem de Vlamingh (1640-1698) in 1696-97. Two of the Estonian sailors were from Tallinn, one from Tartu and one from Southern Estonia.
The coloured engraving above depicts Willem de Vlamingh's ships with Estonians at the entrance to Swan River in Western Australia from the de Vlaminghi expeditions in 1696-1697.
