Show tasmania A dutch na navator nai ator abel tasman Tas iuan discovered this island which Is now flow one of the states of the ail commonwealth he supposed it to be the mainland of the southern ou thern continent and he named it van die mans land in honor of its his friend and patron anthony van adleman nor of the dutch east indies it was later visited by captain cook and others anil and first colonized colonize in IW for a time the island was administered as on nn appendage of new south wales it was then still officially called von van Dien tans land but the name two tai mania in honor of its discoverer was a popular one in 1853 at about the time a constitution wa was s leing being framed for the colony and it was being grant el a considerable measure of self government it elected to ampt adopt tasmania as Us its official name |