Juan Fernández
Encyclopedia
Juan Fernández was a Spanish
explorer and navigator in the Pacific regions of the Viceroyalty of Peru
and Captaincy General of Chile west of colonial South America
.
Between 1563 and 1574 he discovered the Juan Fernández Islands
archipielago, located west of present day Valparaíso
, Chile
in the southeastern Pacific Ocean
. He also discovered the Pacific islands of San Félix and San Ambrosio in 1574.
New Zealand
Some early historians (e.g., Alexander Dalrymple
and James Burney
) claim that 'Juan Fernández was the first European to reach New Zealand
. Around 1576, he is thought to have been sailing a considerable distance off the west coast of South America
heading towards Lima
from Valparaíso when he was blown off course in a storm and sighted land. Juan Fernández set sail back for Colonial Chile and had aspirations to return and establish a colony. This idea was soon scrapped due to lack of interest by officials and the Spanish public. A record exists in the Spanish Admiralty libraries, which were reviewed in the 19th century by the Chilean biographer José Toribio Medina
who is the main source for the claim in South American literature.
Mainstream historians do not however accept the claims. For instance University of Auckland
history professor James Belich
said claims that the French and Chinese discovered New Zealand prior to Abel Tasman
in 1642 had also been put forward. "I think there are a number of theories of this kind and all are highly unlikely."
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
explorer and navigator in the Pacific regions of the Viceroyalty of Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
and Captaincy General of Chile west of colonial South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Discoveries and theories
Juan Fernández IslandsBetween 1563 and 1574 he discovered the Juan Fernández Islands
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...
archipielago, located west of present day Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in the southeastern Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. He also discovered the Pacific islands of San Félix and San Ambrosio in 1574.
New Zealand
Some early historians (e.g., Alexander Dalrymple
Alexander Dalrymple
Alexander Dalrymple was a Scottish geographer and the first Hydrographer of the British Admiralty. He was the main proponent of the theory that there existed a vast undiscovered continent in the South Pacific, Terra Australis Incognita...
and James Burney
James Burney
James Burney was an English rear-admiral, who accompanied Captain Cook on his last two voyages.-Family:Burney was born in London, the son of the composer and music scholar Charles Burney and his wife Esther Sleepe...
) claim that 'Juan Fernández was the first European to reach New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Around 1576, he is thought to have been sailing a considerable distance off the west coast of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
heading towards Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
from Valparaíso when he was blown off course in a storm and sighted land. Juan Fernández set sail back for Colonial Chile and had aspirations to return and establish a colony. This idea was soon scrapped due to lack of interest by officials and the Spanish public. A record exists in the Spanish Admiralty libraries, which were reviewed in the 19th century by the Chilean biographer José Toribio Medina
José Toribio Medina
José Toribio Medina Zavala was a Chilean bibliographer, prolific writer, and historian. He was of Basque descent.-Biography:...
who is the main source for the claim in South American literature.
Mainstream historians do not however accept the claims. For instance University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
history professor James Belich
James Belich (historian)
James Christopher Belich, ONZM is a New Zealand revisionist historian, known for his work on the New Zealand Wars.Of Croatian descent, he was born in Wellington in 1956, the son of Sir James Belich, who later became Mayor of Wellington. He attended Onslow College.He gained an M.A...
said claims that the French and Chinese discovered New Zealand prior to Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...
in 1642 had also been put forward. "I think there are a number of theories of this kind and all are highly unlikely."
See also
- Theory of Portuguese discovery of AustraliaTheory of Portuguese discovery of AustraliaAlthough most historians hold that the European discovery of Australia began in 1606 with the voyage of the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon on board the Duyfken, a theory exists that a Portuguese expedition arrived in Australia between 1521 and 1524...
- Cristóvão de MendonçaCristóvão de MendonçaCristóvão de Mendonça was a Portuguese sailor and statesman who was active in South East Asia in the 16th century.-Mendonça in João de Barros's Décadas da Ásia:...
- Explorers of the Pacific
- Explorers of Oceania