The first known Europen person to visit the area was the Dutch Willem Janszoon "(whose name is also written as Jansz)" in his 1606 voyage. Jan Carstenszoon (or "Carstensz"), visited in 1623 and named the Gulf after Pieter de Carpentier, who was the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Abel Tasman also explored the coast in 1644. The area was later explored and mapped by Matthew Flinders in 1802 and 1803.