The search for the mythical southern continent known as Terra Australis defined the career of Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós. Serving the Spanish crown, he led ambitious maritime expeditions across the Pacific Ocean, driven by a combination of religious fervor and the geopolitical goals of the Hapsburg monarchy during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
Early Maritime Career
Born in 1565 in Évora, Queirós entered Spanish service while the Portuguese and Spanish crowns were unified. By 1595, he served as chief pilot for Álvaro de Mendaña y Neira on an expedition to colonize the Solomon Islands. Following Mendaña's death in October 1595, Queirós took command of the remaining vessel and successfully navigated it to the Philippines by February 1596, arriving after a difficult voyage.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Expedition to the Southern Continent
After petitioning King Philip III and securing support from Pope Clement VIII, Queirós returned to Peru to organize a search for Terra Australis. On 21 December 1605, he departed Callao with three ships and 160 men. The expedition encountered islands across the Pacific, including present-day Kiribati and potentially Tahiti, before reaching Vanuatu in May 1606. Queirós named the region Australia del Espíritu Santo, intending to establish a colony called Nova Jerusalem and founding a chivalric order dedicated to its protection.
Mutiny and Separation
The planned colony faltered quickly due to hostile interactions with the local population and internal crew divisions. On 11 June 1606, the expedition's flagship, San Pedro y San Pablo, became separated from the other vessels under suspicious conditions. While Queirós attributed the separation to bad weather, historical accounts suggest a crew mutiny. Held in his cabin, Queirós was taken to Acapulco, arriving in November 1606. His second-in-command, Luis Váez de Torres, subsequently navigated the strait between Australia and New Guinea.
Final Years
Queirós returned to Madrid in 1607, spending seven years in financial hardship. During this period, he authored over 65 letters to King Philip III, attempting to secure funding for further exploration. Although the Spanish government eventually granted him travel documents for Peru, the royal council remained skeptical of the costs associated with new Pacific ventures. Queirós died in 1614 while transiting through Panama.
Fast facts
- Born: 1565, Évora
- Died: 1614, Panama City
- Nationality: Kingdom of Portugal
- Primary Occupation: Explorer
- Expedition ships: San Pedro y San Pablo, San Pedro, Los Tres Reyes
- Spouse: Doña Ana Chacón de Miranda
- Key mission: Search for Terra Australis
Questions readers ask
Did Pedro Fernandes de Queirós discover Australia?
He believed he had discovered the southern continent when he landed on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu, which he named Australia del Espíritu Santo. His crew actually sailed near, but did not formally encounter, the Australian mainland.
What happened to the mission to establish Nova Jerusalem?
The intended colony in Vanuatu was abandoned within weeks due to conflicts with the local Ni-Vanuatu people and internal disagreements among the expedition members.
Achievements
- Recorded as explorer
