Which Was Discovered First: Australia or New Zealand?

Australia was discovered first by European explorers.

• Australia: Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon made the first documented European landing in 1606 (Cape York Peninsula).
• New Zealand: Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sighted the South Island in 1642, over 35 years later.

Both voyages were undertaken under the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Neither explorer realized they had found major landmasses; Janszoon thought Australia was part of New Guinea, while Tasman believed New Zealand might connect to a hypothetical southern continent.