Name/TitleVOC Chart of the island of Makassar
About this objectVOC chart of the island of Makassar – Sulawesi in today's Indonesia. Makassar is the island from which the Makassan bech-de-mer fishermen visited Australia for at least 100 years before the arrival of the Europeans.
The Dutch fought many battles in an effort to subdue the Macassans and the VOC built the largest fort, "Fort Rotterdam" on the island, which is still extant today. This chart was prepared by the VOC but it would appear was never published as it remains unfinished including the empty cartouche in the top right corner.
MakerVOC - Publisher
Maker RoleCartographer
Period18th century
Place MadeMakassar (Indonesia)
Medium and MaterialsPaper, ink.
Object TypeMaps and Charts
Object numberSF001458
Copyright LicenceAttribution - Non-commercial - No Derivatives (cc)
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Date range: 1541-1836
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The mug is decorated with an underglaze and a blue transfer print. On the body, it is titled ‘Emigrants to Australia’. This type of body and glaze was discontinued by 1840. Comparison of the handle shape and the profile of the foot, point to the attribution of manufacture by the Davenport Factory.
Delta was a ship-rigged vessel with two decks and three masts. It was built in Dordrecht, Netherlands in 1839 at the shipyard of Jan Schouten and registered in the same port. Its hull was constructed of oak and sheathed in ‘yellow metal’. Delta was owned by H. van der Sande at the time of its loss and was engaged as a cargo trader.
The Delta carried 29 crew and passengers, while sailing from Melbourne to Batavia in ballast when wrecked at Kenn Reefs on 30 May 1854 whilst under the command of Captain J.G. Kunst. This vessel loss supports the pattern of shipwrecks located on a well-travelled shipping route that was poorly charted until the mid-nineteenth century. The crew of the Delta could see four other shipwrecks at Kenn Reefs at the time of their vessel’s loss.
Important image of a ship associated with Matthew Flinders, that would shortly become one of the most famous early shipwrecks in eastern Australian waters. This is a fine ship’s portrait, by one of the great exponents of the art