Van Diemen Gulf

Van Diemen Gulf (11°49′S 131°57′E / 11.817°S 131.95°E / -11.817; 131.95Coordinates: 11°49′S 131°57′E / 11.817°S 131.95°E / -11.817; 131.95) is a gulf between Arnhem Land, of the attached Cobourg Peninsula and Melville Island in northern Australia. It is connected to the Timor Sea in the west by the Clarence Strait (near the city of Darwin), and to the Arafura Sea in the north by Dundas Strait (between Melville Island and Cobourg Peninsula). It stretches over an area of about 14,000 km².

Rivers draining into the Gulf include the South Alligator River, the East Alligator River and the Adelaide River.

Australian places named by Dutch explorers in the 17th century1
Queensland
  • Staaten River (Staten Riuier)
  • Carpentaria
Northern Territory
  • Vanderlin Island (Cap Vanderlin)
  • Groote Eylandt
  • Arnhem Land (Arnhems Landt)
  • Crocodile Islands (Cocodrils Eÿlandt)
  • Van Diemen Gulf (Baÿa van-Diemen)
Western Australia
  • Houtman Abrolhos2
  • Rottnest Island (Eyland Rottenest)
  • Swan River (Swarte Swaene-Revier)
South Australia
  • St Francis Island (Eyland St. Francois)
  • St Peter Island (Eyland St. Pierre)
Tasmania
  • Maatsuyker Island (Maetsuickers eylan)
  • Pedra Branca2
  • Storm Bay
  • Maria Island (Marias Eylandt)
  • Schouten Island (Schoute Eylandt)
  • Notes: 1with the name still in use in either original or Anglicised version
  • 2Named by the Dutch, but a Portuguese name
  • Many names have been Anglicised; (for these the original Dutch name appears in brackets)


Famous quotes containing the words van and/or gulf:

    “Mrs. Van Hopper: Most girls would give their eyes for a chance to see Monte.
    Maxim de Winter: Wouldn’t that rather defeat the purpose?”
    —Robert E. Sherwood (1896–1955)

    “And into the gulf between cantankerous reality and the male ideal of shaping your world, sail the innocent children. They are right there in front of us—wild, irresponsible symbols of everything else we can’t control.”
    —Hugh O’Neill (20th century)