Australia - the Great South Land
The ORIGINAL founding proclamation - before Captain Cook.
The ORIGINAL founding proclamation - before Captain Cook.
With great festivity and excitement, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros took possession of this land [Australia] in the name of His Majesty, King of Spain on 14 May 1606.
His proclamation stated:
‘Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those here present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in these hitherto unknown parts, in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal Father and of the Virgin Mary, God and true man, hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which his person was crucified and whereon He gave his life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race, being present as witnesses all the land and sea-going officers; on this Day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606.
In these hitherto unknown southern regions where I now am, have come with the authorization of the Supreme Pontiff, Clement III, and by order of our King, Philip III, King of the Spains, etc, promulgated by the Council of State, I, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of the Most Holy Trinity take possession of all the island and lands that I have newly discovered and shall discover as far as the pole.
‘Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those here present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in these hitherto unknown parts, in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal Father and of the Virgin Mary, God and true man, hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which his person was crucified and whereon He gave his life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race, being present as witnesses all the land and sea-going officers; on this Day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606.
In these hitherto unknown southern regions where I now am, have come with the authorization of the Supreme Pontiff, Clement III, and by order of our King, Philip III, King of the Spains, etc, promulgated by the Council of State, I, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of the Most Holy Trinity take possession of all the island and lands that I have newly discovered and shall discover as far as the pole.
I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus. I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of St Francis and in the name of all his Order and members of it... I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of John of God and all the professed members of his Order...
Finally, from this Bay of St Philip and St James and its port of Vera Cruz and from the place where the city to be known as the New Jerusalem is to be founded, in this latitude of full 15 1/ 3 degrees, and of all the lands that I have seen and I am seeing of all this part of the South as far as the pole.
Finally, from this Bay of St Philip and St James and its port of Vera Cruz and from the place where the city to be known as the New Jerusalem is to be founded, in this latitude of full 15 1/ 3 degrees, and of all the lands that I have seen and I am seeing of all this part of the South as far as the pole.
Which from now on shall be called the Southern Land of the Holy Ghost, with all its annexes and dependencies, and this always and forever, in the name of King Philip III who bears the cost and expense of this fleet with which I came to discover the said lands, on whose power and will shall depend the foundation, government and maintenance of all that is sought both temporally and spiritually for these lands and their peoples, in whose name these flags are flown and I hoist this royal standard, in the presence as witnesses of the commander, Luis Baez de Torres, and hoist his royal standard and the other flags, being further witnesses on the Feast of Pentecost, and on the said day, month and year.’
Aussie Culture Index
The Great South Land
Advance Australia Fair
Waltzing Matilda
Click Goes The Shears
The Man from Snowy River
Clancy of the Overflow
The Catalpa
Scarborough Snake Pit
The Great South Land
Advance Australia Fair
Waltzing Matilda
Click Goes The Shears
The Man from Snowy River
Clancy of the Overflow
The Catalpa
Scarborough Snake Pit
Listen to "Great Southern Land" - performed by Icehouse - © - play the MP3 light version
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