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Biography: Tasman, Abel Janszoon

Abel Janszoon Tasman's ships close to the Three Kings Islands

Abel Janszoon Tasman's ships close to the Three Kings Islands

This image of Abel Janszoon Tasman's ships the Zeehaen and the Heemskerck near the Three Kings Islands was engraved from drawings made during Tasman's 1642 voyage. The out-of-scale human figures in the background apparently gave rise to a belief amongst Europeans that Māori were giants.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PUBL-0105-004

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

K. A. Simpson. 'Tasman, Abel Janszoon', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated August 2019. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1950/abel-janszoon-tasmans-ships-close-to-the-three-kings-islands (accessed 16 June 2026).