The Duyfken Replica which was constructed in Fremantle and
launched in 1999 is regarded as the most precise replica of a 16th century
"Age of Discovery" sailing ship ever made. The 110 tonne ship
was constructed of European Oak, measures 24 metres long and accommodates a
maximum
crew of 18.
The WA Government has provided the Duyfken 1606 Replica
Foundation with a $263,000 grant for the Duyfken to sail from Sydney to
Perth. In addition, the foundation will be provided with $125,000 per
annum (indexed) for 10 years for the Duyfken to be home ported in Perth.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said the Duyfken would
become a new tourism and educational experience for West Australians and
visitors.
"To have a ship like this here in WA representing
Australia's rich colonial history and highlighting WA's links with our Dutch
maritime history is a fantastic achievement," Mr Barnett said.
The original Duyfken (Little Dove) was a Dutch sailing ship
acknowledged to the first European ship to visit Australia and charter the
waters in and around the shores of the Cape York Peninsula in the early 17th
century. Since completion in 2000, Duyfken has acted in an unofficial
Ambassadorial role for Australia in South East Asia, the Indian Sub-continent,
Africa and Europe.
In 2006, Duyfken's sailed around Australia on an exhibition
tour as part of the Federal Government's Australia on the Map events which
coincided with the 400th anniversary of the Duyfken's first voyage to
Australia. That voyage resulted in the Australia's land mass being
cartographically represented on the world map. That 1606 voyage also
marked the first time in recorded European history that Aboriginal people met
people from the outside world.
Duyfken is operated by an Australian charitable foundation
(the Duyfken 1606 Replica Foundation Inc.) and was funded through thousands of
large and small personal donations, corporate sponsorship and grants from the
Governments of Australia, The Netherlands, Queensland and Western Australia.
Duyfken is held in trust by the Duyfken Foundation for the people of Australia.
Duyfken has been berthed for exhibition at the Australian
National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour Sydney for the last 12 months and
prior to which she has been located in Brisbane surviving the floods and
Tropical North Queensland for two past four years.
Duyfken Foundation Chairman Graeme Cocks said that in April
2012, the ship commenced sailing from Sydney to Fremantle via Brisbane, Mackay,
Townsville, Port Douglas, Cooktown, Weipa, Darwin, Dampier and Geraldton to
return home as part of a ten year funding agreement with the WA Government.
"We are very excited to be bringing our ship home with
the support of the State Government. While hundreds of thousands of
people including mums and dads and schoolchildren visited the ship every year
on the east coast, Duyfken has a special bond with Western Australia," he
said.
"West Australians from all walks of life contributed to
raising funds to build the ship, for four years West Australian shipwrights
carved her, piece-by-piece out of European Oak and local timber, and the ship
was then crewed by many West Australians when she sailed to Indonesia, Papua
New Guinea and later to Europe."
Once Duyfken returns to WA it will be open for school visits
and general the general public.
The ship is expected to arrive back in Fremantle in
September 2012.
(Source: Travmedia.com)
