In 1545 the first known use of the name ‘Australia’ appeared in a German astronomical work, Astronomia-Teutsch Astronomei.

For centuries, Europeans believed that a great landmass would be discovered at the opposite end of the Earth. They referred to it as Terra Australis Incognita; Latin for ‘unknown southern land’.

The notion of this landmass was introduced by Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) who believed that the landmass of the Northern Hemisphere should be balanced by one in the south.

‘Australia’ is the noun form of the Latin for ‘southern’ and appeared speculatively on the top of the south-oriented globe depicted in Astronomia-Teutsch Astronomei.