Here's why he's significant:
* Unintentional Discovery: Janszoon was on a Dutch trading expedition searching for the fabled "Terra Australis Incognita" (unknown southern land). He landed on the coast of Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia, but mistook it for an island and named it "New Guinea" due to its resemblance to the nearby island of New Guinea.
* Limited Exploration: He only explored a small portion of the coastline and didn't fully understand the significance of his discovery.
* Lost Records: The official records of his voyage were lost for many years, making his discovery less known at the time.
* Later Recognition: His voyage was rediscovered in the 19th century, and he is now recognized as the first European to have landed in Australia.
While Janszoon wasn't the first to land in Australia (the Portuguese likely made landfall in the 16th century), he is considered the first European to have landed on the mainland and provided a detailed account of his voyage.