Spanish presence in the South Pacific. From Quiros and Torres to the Naval cooperation between Australia and Spain

Spanish maritime expeditions in the Southern Seas have been of paramount importance for the mapping of this vast geographic area. The first sighting of the Pacific from the west coast of Panama occured in 1513 by the Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa. Later on, other expeditionaries such as Pedro Fernandez de Quirós or Luis Vaez de Torres sailed through the great straits between Australia and New Guinea. This event is being organized to mark the presence in Australia of the Spanish frigate ‘Cristobal Colon’.

Participants

Chris Maxworthy, is a maritime historian who has pioneered historical research on the Spanish maritime presence in the Pacific Ocean. He is a graduate of the University of NSW, and Macquarie University, as well as being an officer in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve. Chris is an Executive Board member of the Australian Association for Maritime History, and has served as an elected Councillor of the Royal Australian Historical Society.
In 2011 Lieutenant Commander Maxworthy was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate Spanish language historical archives in South America and Spain. This led to the discovery of materials on the early history of Australia, viewed from the perspective of the eighteenth century Spanish colonies along the Pacific Ocean coast of the Americas and the Philippines.
Chris is currently completing a post-graduate research degree in History at Sydney University. His key theme, not surprisingly, is the role of colonial Sydney in support of British privateering and piracy activities against Spain. His focus is the Pacific Ocean and Anglo-Spanish warfare in our region during the European Wars of 1793-1815

Comm. Ignacio Cuartero, Commanding Officer of the Spanish Navy Ship “Cristobal Colón” (F105) has worked integrated within the Royal Australian Navy Fleet during the last four months. During this period he sailed around Australia from Perth to Darwin through the Torres trait, visited many of the main Australian ports and exercised at sea with almost all kind of RAN ships and aircraft, all under the umbrella of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Armada and the Royal Australian Navy in 2012.

Free event. Booking essential: https://spainpacific.eventbrite.com.au