The Brouwer Route played a major role in the European discovery of the west coast of Australia. Many ships were wrecked along the coast, including Batavia in 1629, Vergulde Draeck in 1656, Zuytdorp in 1712, and Zeewijk in 1727. In 1696, Willem de Vlamingh explored the Australian coast while looking for survivors of the Ridderschap van Holland, which had disappeared in 1694 with 302 souls on board.