Zoom Presentation: THE DUYFKEN

Overview

The DUYFKEN is a very accurate replica of the first European vessel to land on Australian shores, viz. in 1606 near Weipa, in north Queensland. The replica was built in Fremantle from 1997-1999 and has since sailed to the Netherlands, circumnavigated Australia, and also undertaken a re-enactment of the 1606 voyage, from the Spice Islands in the Banda Sea, in what is now Indonesia, to “Duyfken Point”, Cape York Peninsula. In the era of exploration, the Spice Wars and colonisation, the Dutch, British, Portuguese, and Spanish were vying for supremacy in SE Asia. The Dutch East India Company (or VOC) was the most powerful maritime force at the time and had little trouble dominating the very lucrative spice trade. Scout ships like the original DUYFKEN were relatively fast, manoeuvrable, and “punched well above their weight”, as they were armed with eight ‘falcons’ or cannon, plus two cannon as ‘stern chasers’, facing directly aft. They were also armed with four “murderers”, a blunderbuss type of weapon which could spray metal on closing enemy ships, with lethal effect. Roy will relate the story of the original DUYFKEN, the building of the very accurate replica, and the latter’s deployment in Australia.”

Presenter – Roy Stall

Roy Stall joined the RAN in July 1960 in the first intake of Junior Recruits at HMAS LEEUWIN, East Fremantle. He subsequently trained as an Electrical Mechanic (Electronics), 2nd class, at FND and was drafted to the oceanographic research vessel, HMAS DIAMANTINA, in December 1961. His CW papers having been raised earlier, he was an Upper Yardman (1962), then a Topman (1963), before entering the Royal Australian Naval College in January 1964. On graduation he served in the carrier MELBOURNE, the ‘Vungtau Ferry”, SYDNEY, then the destroyer escort PARRAMATTA. Nominated as a future ‘schoolie’, the Navy in its wisdom chose to enrol him in a Science degree at the University of WA. However, this was beyond his capabilities and he and the navy parted ways in 1967. He later completed an Asian Studies degree at the ANU in Canberra, before working as a public servant for some years. In recent years he taught Maritime English in China and Japan, as well as English as a Second Language in Perth.

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1100, Friday 14th May 2021 (Sydney time)

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