an interesting slant on family history

[dennford]

I'm not too sure where to post this story so I shall start here, hoping it may generate some discussion.

There have been many arguments as to who were the first Europeans to visit Australia. However a not well known story is that of what were possibly the first Europeans to actually live here. Long before Cook the Dutch had been using Australia as a navigational aid en-route to Batavia. Now in 1712 the vessel Zuytdorp was wrecked off the coast of W.A. Although little is known of the fate of those on board, over the years it has been noted that a handfull of the mid west Aborigines do have some physical similarities to Europeans and that artifacts dating back several hundred years have used bindings tied using Dutch seamens knots. Allthough this would seem to give some remote suggestion that some of those Dutch could have survived and actually bred with Aborigines, it is not very convincing.

Genetics though gives us another avenue to follow. Porphyria variegata is a rare disease that would seem to have been prevalant in Holland in the 1600s/1700s and most cases were traceable to only two families. It spread from Holland to the Amish community in America and to the Dutch communities in South Africa. Now interestingly at the time that the Zuytdorp made it's fatefull voyage It stopped in South Africa. One of Capetowns residents, a young man called Hendrick Bibault was descended from one of those two families, Bibault was in ome sort of trouble with the Capetown authorities and was deported aboard the Zuytdorp, therefore sharing the same fate as everyone else aboard.

This now brings us to the most convincing evidence that he probably survived and the posibility that his ancestors are this day living inn the mid west of W.A. It has been found that there is an incidence among mid west aborigines of porphyria variegata that exists nowhere ele in Australia.

This is just but a brief outline of the whole story, but it makes one wonder what other proof lies out there.

Denn

[ev]

hi dennford

next step would seem to be DNA
although would any one be willing  to give a sample
there must be some kind of record with health authorities in australia
and worth a feather in the cap of a professional researcher
(or us plebs for that matter)

ev

[dennford]

Here is some info on our Hendrick B. but it needs someone who dpeaks Dutch to translate.

HENDRIK BIEBOUW OPGESPOOR

Volgens http://voc.websilon.nl/

Persoonsgegevens van - Hendrick Bibou
Herkomst:- De caab.
Rang: - Matroos
Datum einde verbintenis: - 20/03/1719
Einde verbintenis: - Overleden
Plaats einde verbintenis: Azie
Gegevens van de vaart
Schip: Zandenburg Inventarisnr.: 12771
Kamer: Zeeland Folio: 84
Uitreis: 005-004-1716 Bestemming: Batavia
DAS- en reisnr 2266.4 Aankomst: 26-10-1716

Hierdie data bevestig nou die feite dat Hendrik Biebouw wel soos vermoed was in die diens van die VOC getree het. Maar die teorie dat hy op die skip Zuytdorp was of dat hy dalk genetiese afstammelinge onder die Aborigines nagelaat het is buite die kwessie.

From this site
http://www.stamouers.com/biebouw.htm

[dennford]

And another one that would seem to verify the story (using google translation).

http://www.geocities.com/sa_stamouers/biebouw.htm

Denn

[bodger]

Hi Denn, very interesting theory, i have relations in Albany, WA, and visited there in 2004, whilst there i read quite a lot about the European population growth, one of the books referred to a group of seamen put ashore for mutiny, no one knows whether they survived, but a theory was that they reached a Aborigine community and created a tribe of light skinned natives somewhere in the outback between Perth and Darwen, but i think your suggestion is  more plausible.
                         Merry Christmas, Bodger

[jc26red]

Hi Denn

I have asked someone who lives in Netherlands to come and take a look - she is already a member of Roots.

Jenny

[Lydart]

Interesting.

I googled for that disease, but the answer is too medically technical for understanding ... am I right in thinking its a skin disease ?  Causing discolouration ?  Any medical person who can clarify please ?

[marymog]

Here is some info on our Hendrick B. but it needs someone who dpeaks Dutch to translate.

HENDRIK BIEBOUW OPGESPOOR

Volgens http://voc.websilon.nl/

Persoonsgegevens van - Hendrick Bibou
personal info on HB

Herkomst:- De caab.
came from - place De Caab

Rang: - Matroos
rank - sailor

Datum einde verbintenis: - 20/03/1719
date he ended service...

Einde verbintenis: - Overleden
end of service : Death

Plaats einde verbintenis: Azie
place of end of service : Asia

Gegevens van de vaart
details of the voyage

Schip: Zandenburg Inventarisnr.: 12771
ship : Zandenburg inventary number 12771

Kamer: Zeeland Folio: 84
Place : Zealand Folio: 84


Uitreis: 005-004-1716 Bestemming: Batavia
departure 5/4/1716 destination Batavia

DAS- en reisnr 2266.4 Aankomst: 26-10-1716
DAS?? and Journey number 2266.4  arrival 26/10/1716

Hierdie data bevestig nou die feite dat Hendrik Biebouw wel soos vermoed was in die diens van die VOC getree het. Maar die teorie dat hy op die skip Zuytdorp was of dat hy dalk genetiese afstammelinge onder die Aborigines nagelaat het is buite die kwessie.


Here the information confirms the fact that HB as was suspected, had joined the service of the VOC . But the theory that he was on the ship Zuytdorp, and that he left descendants under the aborigines is out of the question.
From this site
http://www.stamouers.com/biebouw.htm

translation

mm

[dennford]

Here is some info on our Hendrick B. but it needs someone who dpeaks Dutch to translate.

HENDRIK BIEBOUW OPGESPOOR

Volgens http://voc.websilon.nl/

Persoonsgegevens van - Hendrick Bibou
personal info on HB

Herkomst:- De caab.
came from - place De Caab

Rang: - Matroos
rank - sailor

Datum einde verbintenis: - 20/03/1719
date he ended service...

Einde verbintenis: - Overleden
end of service : Death

Plaats einde verbintenis: Azie
place of end of service : Asia

Gegevens van de vaart
details of the voyage

Schip: Zandenburg Inventarisnr.: 12771
ship : Zandenburg inventary number 12771

Kamer: Zeeland Folio: 84
Place : Zealand Folio: 84


Uitreis: 005-004-1716 Bestemming: Batavia
departure 5/4/1716 destination Batavia

DAS- en reisnr 2266.4 Aankomst: 26-10-1716
DAS?? and Journey number 2266.4  arrival 26/10/1716

Hierdie data bevestig nou die feite dat Hendrik Biebouw wel soos vermoed was in die diens van die VOC getree het. Maar die teorie dat hy op die skip Zuytdorp was of dat hy dalk genetiese afstammelinge onder die Aborigines nagelaat het is buite die kwessie.


Here the information confirms the fact that HB as was suspected, had joined the service of the VOC . But the theory that he was on the ship Zuytdorp, and that he left descendants under the aborigines is out of the question.
From this site
http://www.stamouers.com/biebouw.htm

translation

mm

So that rules out our "Hendrik" as he died some time after the shipwreck.