Pedro Ferdinadez de Quiros

De Quiros was a Portugese leader. For years he had begged the King of Spain to supply him with ships so he could find "the Great South Land". De Quiros also had another purpose. He wanted to reach the peoples of the south "so at, all around the world, God might be known and adored by all His creatures".

The King continued to refuse De Quiros's request for ships. Finally, the King ordered the Governor of Peru to give two ships to De Quiros. De Quiros's second in charge was another maritime explorer, Luis Vaiez de Torres. The Torres Straight is named after him.

In 1606 De Quiros's ship reached a vast coastline. He thought he had found the Great South Land. But he was slill a long way from the continent we now call Australia. He had instead landed on a large island. Still, De Quiros called the land: "Australia del Espiritu Santo" (Southem Land of the Holy Spirit).

De Quiros did not discover Australia. He had instead discovered Vanuatu in the South Pacific.