Van Diemen's Land

Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia.

History

Exploration

The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania in 1642. Landing at Blackman's Bay and later having the Dutch flag flown at North Bay, Tasman named the island Anthoonij van Diemenslandt, in honour of Anthony van Diemen, the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, who had sent Tasman on his voyage of discovery. Between 1772 and 1798 only the southeastern portion of the island was visited. Tasmania was not known to be an island until Matthew Flinders and George Bass circumnavigated it in the Norfolk in 1798–99.

Around 1784-85, Henri Peyroux de la Coudreniere, an army officer serving in Spanish Louisiana, wrote a “memoir on the advantages to be gained for the Spanish crown by the settlement of Van Dieman's Land”. After receiving no response from the Spanish government, Peyroux proposed it to the French government, as "Mémoire sur les avantages qui résulteraient d’une colonie puissante à la terre de Diémen".

Rattle and Hum

Rattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2, and a companion rockumentary film directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs. To a greater extent than on their previous album, The Joshua Tree, the band explores American roots music and incorporates elements of blues rock, folk rock, and gospel music in their sound. The motion picture was filmed primarily in the United States in late 1987 during The Joshua Tree Tour and it features their experiences with American music.

Although Rattle and Hum was intended to represent the band paying tribute to rock legends, some critics accused U2 of trying to place themselves amongst the ranks of these artists. While critical reception was mixed, the album was a commercial success, reaching the number one spot in several countries and selling 14 million copies.

History

"I was very keen on the idea of going wide at a time like that, just seeing how big this thing could get. I had always admired Colonel Parker and Brian Epstein for realising that music could capture the imagination of the whole world."

Van Diemen's Land (film)

Van Diemen's Land is a 2009 Australian thriller set in 1822 in colonial Tasmania. It follows the story of the infamous Irish convict, Alexander Pearce, played by Oscar Redding and his escape with seven other convicts.

Plot

A group of transported convicts, suffering brutal treatment at the Sarah Island penal settlement on Van Diemens Land, escape into the Tasmanian wilderness in hopes of reaching the settlements to the east. Their enthusiasm and bravado soon give way to hunger, which saps their strength and causes them to despair. Former urban dwellers, the English, Irish and Scottish convicts realise that not only are they lost, but they do not even know how to hunt or fish. The oppressive nature of landscape becomes the setting for murder, as hunger forces the group to turn to cannibalism, killing and eating the members of the group one by one. The men do all in their power to keep moving, watch their back and avoid sleep, lest they be the next meal.

Convicts

Diemen

Diemen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdimə(n)]) is a town and municipality with a population of 26,148 in the Netherlands. It is located in the south of the province North Holland, southeast of Amsterdam, and within the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.

Etymology

The name Diemen comes from the river Diem, which originates from die eme, meaning the water.

Geography

Diemen is located in the province North Holland, in the west of the Netherlands. The town is part of the urban area of Amsterdam and is situated between Amsterdam-Oost (IJburg, Watergraafsmeer), Ouder-Amstel (Duivendrecht), Amsterdam-Zuidoost (Bijlmer, Driemond), and Muiden.

Three waterways cross the municipality: the Weespertrekvaart from west to south, the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal from north to east, and the river Diem from south to north. The river is the namesake of Diemen. The town can be divided into three neighbourhoods: Diemen Noord, Diemen Centrum, and Diemen Zuid.

Diemen Noord (English: Diemen North) is located on the south bank of the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal, which separates it from the Amsterdam neighbourhood IJburg, on the west bank of the river Diem, and on the north side of the Amsterdam–Zutphen railway. The area contains houses, a few of which are recreated old houses, a minor shopping centre, and in the east a green area called Diemerpolder.