What is the old name of Australia? This is a commonly asked question as we come across ancient names of different places.
This question can be answered by looking at the history of exploration and early geographical beliefs. Well before the discovery and mapping of Australia, there were many names used for that unknown land.
The names given for such an unknown territory are products of imagination, partially made discoveries, and growing geographical knowledge.
As more information is gathered, the names of the discovered territories change with the times. In addition, knowing these names will allow us to gain a better understanding of geography in the past.
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What is the Old Name of Australia?
The old name of Australia is Terra Australis Incognita, which means "Unknown Southern Land" in Latin. Europeans called it that way even before the continent was explored thoroughly. Terra Australis Incognita was the supposed unknown land mass located in the Southern Hemisphere. The term Terra Australis Incognita can be broken down into three parts:
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Terra means land
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Australis means southern
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Incognita means unknown
The translation of these words means “Unknown Southern Land.” The old philosophers thought that there had to be a land like this to counterbalance the continents in the Northern Hemisphere.
Was Terra Australis Incognita the Actual Name?
However, it should be noted that at first, Terra Australis Incognita was not the official name of Australia. Rather, this was a concept created by imagination and scientific theories at that particular time. Once people arrived in the southern land, they learned that while the land was real, it was quite different from what they had conceived before.
Australia’s Other Old Name: New Holland
In the 17th century, Dutch sailors started charting sections of the continent. They called it New Holland, which was the first name used for Australia in geographical documents.
The name was coined by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman and was frequently used in maps for decades to come. But it largely applied only to the western and northern shores of the continent explored by the Dutch, and not to the whole continent as we know it today.
How Did Australia Get Its Present Name?
The contemporary term “Australia” was introduced into common usage by British navigator Matthew Flinders during the first decades of the 19th century. Flinders applied the term in his publications and map in order to emphasize that the landmass deserved a more appropriate and succinct name than Terra Australis Incognita.
The British Government accepted the name “Australia” in 1824, thus completing the evolution of the continent’s name from an ideal conception to a geographical reality.
Timeline of Australia’s Names
| Period | Name Used | Description |
| Ancient to Medieval Period | Terra Australis Incognita | Imaginary southern land |
| 17th Century | New Holland | Name given by Dutch explorers |
| 19th Century | Australia | Official modern name |
Important Facts About Australia’s Name
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Terra Australis was an imaginary continent until its discovery.
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New Holland was the first realistic name applied to Australia.
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The name “Australia” was chosen in 1824.
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The term “Australia” is taken from Latin, meaning “the southern land.”
Conclusion
However, Terra Australis Incognita is the term usually used when referring to the old name of Australia, but it has also been called New Holland before its renaming into Australia. The process signifies an aspect of human civilization transitioning from speculation to discovery and eventually gaining recognition.
