Van Diemen's Land
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Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to explore Tasmania, he named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt in honor of Anthony van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies who had sent Tasman on his voyage of discovery in 1642.
In 1803, the island was colonized by the British as a penal colony with the name Van Diemen's Land.
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Penal colony
From the 1830s to the abolition of transportation in 1853, Van Diemen's Land was the primary penal colony in Australia. Following the suspension of transportation to New South Wales, all convicts sent to Australia first served their sentences at the Tasman Peninsula prison known as Port Arthur or as assigned labour to free settlers in Van Diemen's Land. In total, some 75,000 convicts were transported to Van Diemen's Land, or about 40% of all convicts sent to Australia.
Convicts earning their pardon or ticket-of-leave often promptly left Van Diemen's Land to settle in the new free colony of Victoria to the disgust of the free settlers in towns such as Melbourne. Tensions sometimes ran high between the settlers and the "Vandemonians" as they were termed, particularly during the Victorian gold rush when a flood of settlers from Van Diemen's Land rushed to the Victorian gold fields. Complaints from Victorians about recently released convicts from Van Diemen's Land re-offending in Victoria eventually led to the abolition of transportation to Van Diemen's Land in 1853.
In order to remove the unsavoury connotations with crime associated with its name, in 1856 Van Diemen's Land was renamed Tasmania in honour of Abel Tasman. The last penal colony in Tasmania at Port Arthur finally closed in 1877.
Popular culture
Music
- "Van Diemen's Land", also known as "The Gallant Poachers", is a traditional English folk song. It has been performed by Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band on their 1971 album No Roses, by Walter Pardon on the 1974 album Farewell, My Own Dear Native Land, by Gay & Terry Woods on their 1976 album Renowned, and by Steeleye Span on their 2004 album They Called Her Babylon.
Oh! when we sailed from England We landed at the bay We had rotten straw for bedding We dared not to say nay Our cots were fenced with fire we slumber when we can ''To drive away the wolves and tigers Upon Van Diemen's Land
- "Van Diemen's Land" is also the title of the second track from the rock band U2's album Rattle and Hum. The lyrics were written and sung by The Edge, which is a rare occurrence for U2.
- There are several other English and Irish folk songs that mention Van Diemen's Land, two of which are the Irish songs "Black Velvet Band" and "Back Home in Derry".
- There is also a traditional Irish song called "Van Diemen's Land" that is well known which is sung by The Dubliners.
- Van Dieman's Land is also mentioned in the Australian folk song "The Wild Colonial Boy".
- Van Dieman's Land is mentioned in the chorus of the song "Every Dog Has Its Day" by the Irish American band Flogging Molly.
Literature
- In Cormac McCarthy's classic novel, Blood Meridian one of the characters in the Glanton Gang of scalpers in 1850s Mexico is known only as the Vandiemenlander, an Australian who once hunted aborigines for a living and is now using those skills on Apaches.
- Van Diemen's Land is mentioned in Edgar Alan Poe's book Narrative of A. Gordon Pym, as the main character sails to pole south, they stop at this island.
- Van Diemen's Land is also mentioned in Umberto Eco's novel "The Island of the Day Before" ("L'isola del giorno prima", 1994), a brilliant story about a 17th century Italian nobleman trapped at an island at the International Date Line.
- Van Diemen's Land in addition is mentioned in Emily Dickenson's "Part Three: Love":
'... subtracting till my fingers dropped; into Van Diemen's land.' "The Potato Factory" by Bryce Courtenay, 1995