Little Dove Sails West - Homeward Bound to Fremantle

Duyfken Replica

The Duyfken Replica is regarded as the most precise replica of a 16th century "Age of Discovery" sailing ship ever made.  It was constructed in Fremantle and launched in 1999. 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."

Duyfken Replica

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.

For further information, visit http://www.duyfken.com/