From 150 AD when Ptolemy showed a south land on his maps, the Latin word "australis" was used for regions south of the equator. In 1569 the great geographer Gerhardus Mercator used continens australis to refer to the supposed land south of Asia. In 1606 Pedro Fernandez de Quiros discovered Vanuatu, and, believing that the island on which he landed was part of the great southern continent, named it Australia del Espiritu Santo.

In his memorial published in 1610, the name Australia incognita appeared on the title page and in 1612 the Dutch cartographer Hessel Gerritsz published a book containing a Dutch translation of de Quiros’s Memorial which rendered it as “Australia Incognita;” the earliest printed use of the word Australia.

The map shown here was drawn before Captain Cook chartered & mapped Australia and has the island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu connected to Tasmania & Papua New Guinea as the east coast.

2006 marks a significant anniversary

This year marks the 400th annaversary of the Declaration of Australia and all the other Islands and lands in this southern region as "Australia del Espiritu Santos"... The great Southland of the Holy Spirit.

It may seem somewhat strange to include a Portuguese navigator amongst notable Australian Christians. However, this remarkable man should not go unnoticed, and his life and deeds are worthy of tribute. For it is to this man that we owe the very name of our country, and it is to this man's 'vision splendid' that many look with longing for a hope and a future - a land dedicated to the Holy Spirit. This man was Pedro Fernandez de Quiros.

He had come to believe that he was divinely chosen as the one to bring the inhabitants of the southern land into the 'true fold' of the Catholic church, and that this 'Terra Australis' would become Austrialia del Espiritu Santo, a country dedicated to the Holy Spirit. De Quiros obtained royal approval to search for the southern land in 1603. After acquiring three vessels and a crew, including Luis Viez de Torres as second-in-command, he set sail for Callao, Peru on 21 December 1605. Sailing west, they sighted land after five months at sea. With great festivity and excitement, de Quiros took possession of this land in the name of His Majesty on 14 May 1606. His proclamation stated:

"Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those here present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in these hitherto unknown parts, in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal Father and of the Virgin Mary, God and true man, hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which His person was crucified and whereon He gave His life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race, being present as witnesses all the land and sea-going officers; on this Day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606.

In these hitherto unknown southern regions where I now am, I have come with the authorisation of the Supreme Pontiff, Clement III, and by order of our King, Philip III, King of the Spains, etc, promulgated by the Council of State, I, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of the Most Holy Trinity take possession of all the islands and lands that I have newly discovered and shall discover as far as the pole.

I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus.

Finally, I take possession of this bay, named the Bay of St. Philip and St. James, and of its port named Santa Cruz, and of the site on which is to be founded the city of New Jerusalem, in latitude 15 degrees 10', and of all the lands, and of all the lands which I sighted and am going to sight, and of all this region of the south as far as the Pole, which from this time shall be called Australia del Espiritu Santo, with all its dependencies and belongings; and this for ever, and so long as right exists, in the name of the King, Don Philip, third of that name King of Spain, and of the eastern and western Indies, my King and natural Lord, whose is the cost and expense of this fleet, and from whose will and power came its mission, with the government, spiritual and temporal, of these lands and people, in whose royal name are displayed there his three banners, and I hereby hoist his royal standard."

The reading being finished, all cried with loud voices: "Long live the King of Spain, Don Philip III, our Lord!" Then we entered the church to give due thanks to God. They said three Masses, and the fourth, which was sung, was by our Father Commissary. All the people took the sacrament very fervently.

This done, the three Ensigns, who now held the banners in their hands, inclined them to the ground in front of the altar, the Royal Ensign holding the royal standard. The Commissary blessed them with great solemnity; and, at a certain signal that was given to the ships, whose mast-head banners displayed the royal arms, and at the sides the two columns and the plus ultra , with the streamers fluttering, fired off all their guns with full charges; the soldiers discharged muskets and arquebuses, and the gunners sent off rockets and fire-wheels.

In the middle of all this noise, all shouted with almost infinite joy, and many times: "Long live the Faith of Christ!" And with this the celebration of the festival came to an end. What a dream this man had! Had he sailed further south, Aussies might all have been Spanish-speaking Catholics! De Quiros came within an ace of discovering mainland Australia, and not for want of determination or faith. But God's will was otherwise disposed, and it was left to other Europeans of another denomination to found and colonise white Australia. However for many people of faith, the dream of Austrialia del Espiritu Santo remains. We share with de Quiros a destiny unfulfilled, a longing not satisfied. The vision will yet be fulfilled, and when it is, we will remember him.

We also share a dream of taking possession of the airwaves over Australia with our Vision of Christian Radio for Every Australian and again reclaiming our True Christian Heritage and defending it from all who may wish to see Australia fall into bondage through ignorance or apathy. Please commit to prayerfully and financially stand in partnership with UCB as we spread the Word of God.

Great Southland of the Holy Spirit Celebrations

Numerous Celebrations will be taking place in 2006 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the naming of the "Southland of the Holy Spirit, and some are noted below. However, before reading about these celebrations, consider God's sovereignty in delaying settlement of Australia and how the gospel was brought to these shores (Click here for details before you read on).

1. South Pacific Nations Celebrations
The 400th Anniversary of the naming of "The Great Southland of the Holy Spirit" will be held in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu on the 13th & 14th May, 2006. The Australian Prayer Network is organising the Australian delegation to the Espiritu Santo Celebrations, which will also include the National Day of Thanksgiving, in Australia on Saturday June 3rd 2006.

Australians from all walks of life are invited to attend. You can watch the personal video invitation from the National Alliance of Church Leaders Chairman, Dr Graham McLennan, and start to make arrangements now for your involvement.

A detailed account of how the Spanish explorer De Quiros named the Southland of the Holy Spirit can be found on the Christian History Research website.

2. Pentecost weekend celebrations

The Australian Prayer Network is working with the Childrens Prayer Network to invite some 2,000 children and interested adults, including a strong Aboriginal contingent, to gather at Uluru, the central heart of our nation, on Saturday June 3, to rededicate the nation to God for the next 400 years.

This event is still in the planning stage but we'll update details here (and on air) as they come to hand.

General celebrations will occur on the Saturday night 3rd June across Australia (at the same time and linked with the event at Uluru) as part of "Australia Worships" celebrations where Churches in communities across Australia will be encouraged to hold combined worship celebrations to join in the rededication of our nation to the Lord for the next 400 years even whilst we celebrate the heritage of the past 400 years.

3. Celebrations in Cairns
These will also take place by the strategic Bethany Gate Convocation, with the Jerusalem House of Prayer for All Nations team, the South Pacific Prayer Assembly and intercessors from many nations 11-16th May 2006, to lift up the name of Jesus Christ on the (eight jubilees!) 400th anniversary of the naming of the South Lands of the Holy Spirit.

Intercessors will be praying about many issues including the centenary of the passing of the ‘Commonwealth Pacific Island Labourers Act’ shortly after Australian Federation, stopping imported labour by 1905, with most of the South Sea Islanders from Blackbirding days to be returned to the Islands by December 1906. It will be a double centenary in 2006, as Cairns street kerosene/gas lamps were first introduced in 1906. It will be 100 years again in 2006,"and God is about to introduce a new light to the streets of Cairns- the glory of the Lord!"

For further information contact Pastors Norman & Barbara Miller: nbmiller@optusnet.com.au or call (07) 4051 0141.

4. Christian Heritage forum
A National Forum on “Australia’s Christian Heritage: Its Importance in the Past and its Relevance for the Future” will take place on the 13th – 14th August 2006 in the Great Hall, Parliament House in our nation's Capital. Several leading Australian historians, prominent politicians on both side of the house as well as leaders from Christian ministries are involved in the planning of this invitation only event.

Contact Graham McDonald for more information graham.mcdonald@ccca.org.au.

Informal discussions are also taking place on a proposal to establish A National Christian Heritage Museum in our nations Capital. Like the bequest that created the South Australia's Christian Heritage theme (Mortlock Wing) within the State Library of South Australia in Adelaide two years ago, the National Christian Heritage Museum will hopefully be financially self sustaining once commenced with donations from sponsors. If you are interested in this project the coordinator is Mrs "O J" Rushton email outabout@bigpond.net.au mobile phone 0412504153

To receive a regular newsletter on the activities of the Australian Prayer Network, including these events, go to www.ausprayernet.org.au and click on "Newsletters".