Shell Beach at Denham looking across to Dirk Hartog Island

Cape Inscription
Historic cape on Dirk Hartog Island
It was the Dutch sailor Henderik Brouwer who, in 1610, discovered that the best route from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia was via the Roaring Forties. The idea was head east for a few thousand kilometres then turn left. Brouwer achieved the crossing of the Indian Ocean and turned left before reaching Western Australia. Six years later Dirk Hartog sailed too far and landed at Cape Inscription on 26 October 1616. It was here that Hartog left his famous pewter plate inscribed (in Dutch, this is obviously a translation): '1616. On 25th October there arrived here the ship Eendraght of Amsterdam. Supercargo Gilles Miebais of Liege; skipper Dirck Hatichs of Amsterdam. On 27th do. she set sail again for Bantam. Subcargo Jan Stins; upper steersman Pieter Doores of Bil. In the year 1616.' It hardly makes gripping reading but it is firm evidence of the first Europeans landing on mainland Australia.

In 1697 the Dutch sailor Willem de Vlamingh reached the island and, finding Hartog's pewter plate still in its original position (although somewhat the worse for weathering) he removed it and replaced it with another plate. The original was returned to Holland where it still is kept in the Rijksmuseum.

De Vlamingh's replacement plate had an even less interesting inscription on it. After getting the date wrong he listed all the important sailors on the voyage and concluded with 'Our fleet set sail from here to continue exploring the Southern Land, on the way to Batavia.'

In 1818 the French explorer Louis de Freycinet, while exploring the coast, came across de Vlamingh's plate and removed it to France. The plate was eventually returned to Australia in 1947 and is currently housed in the Maritime Museum in Fremantle.

Around this time Phillip Parker King circumnavigated the island on his historic survey of the Australian coastline. Both King and John Septimus Roe left their marks on the island. King spelt out his name in nails on a post and Roe carved his name in the timber.

The island has for a long time been privately owned by Sir Thomas Wardle, an ex-Lord Mayor and one-time grocery millionaire from Perth, but in 1989 the West Australian government decided to make all of the island (except for 100 acres) part of the hugely expanded Shark Bay National Park which includes all the important sites in Shark Bay.

It is widely recognised that the island, apart from its obvious historical importance, is important environmentally. It boasts 250 species of plant life and is home to the rare black and white wren.

Things to see:  

Attractions on the Island
At Cape Inscription there is an old post where the original plate was placed as well as a lighthouse and a lighthouse keeper's cottage. The western coastline of the island is dramatic and dangerous in stormy weather but during mild conditions it is famous for its game fishing with marlin, samson fish and sailfish being caught.

There is no regular access to the island at the moment. The problem is that the journey from Denham to Turtle Bay requires a large boat while access to the shore requires a small boat and, even then, there is a 3 km walk from Turtle Bay to the Dirk Hartog site. It is possible to charter a boat or to fly over the area. For more information contact the Shark Bay Tourist Bureau, Knight Terrace, Denham (08) 9948 1253. More direct contact can be made by ringing the island on (08) 9948 1211 or contacting Shark Bay Charter Services (they organise fishing in the local area) on (08) 9948 1113.

Since writing that last piece of information we have received an email from Wardle family on the island. It reads:

Hi! My name is Kieran Wardle. I am Sir Thomas Wardle's grandson. Just a short note to inform you what is happening on Dirk Hartog Island. (Your "Cape Inscription" article may need to be changed, so all readers are informed with the correct information.)

Dirk Hartog Island Station is now open to tourists. We offer two types of accommodation - 8 Homestead Rooms and Camping facilities. You can also bring your own 4WD to Dirk Hartog Island. The Island Homestead has two Toyota 4WD's for Historic Tours to Cape Inscription & Turtle Bay also stopping off for land based fishing on the way home. (Catch dinner). The Island Homestead also has a 26ft Shark Cat for game fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling & transfers from Denham to the Island.

Rex Hunt has filmed four 15 min TV shows & a one 1hour special on Dirk Hartog Island. He has rated it in his top ten fishing holidays.

Dirk Hartog Island Station is still run as a sheep station, running 6000 sheep. However our family have been dealing with the government for 9 years to try and come to an agreement on what should happen to Dirk Hartog Island. We have offered to run the island as a private national park.

If you would like more info, please contact me on Dirk Hartog Island. (08) 99481211 or email: hartog@space.net.au

Regards,

Kieran Wardle.

Accommodation
See Denham for listings of places on the mainland.