Black Swans were first seen by Europeans in 1697, when Willem de Vlamingh's expedition explored the Swan River, Western Australia.
Cornelis's eldest son Joan Geelvinck (1644–1707), a merchant and politician, who was allowed by the Dutch East India Company to baptize the Geelvink, one of the three ships under the command of Willem de Vlamingh who had orders to explore the Australian west coast in 1696.
Willem de Kooning | Willem Dafoe | Willem Blaeu | Willem Janszoon | Willem Mengelberg | Willem Roggeman | Herman Willem Daendels | Willem Drees | Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands | Willem van Otterloo | Willem Schouten | Willem Kloos | Willem Klein | Willem II (football club) | Willem II | Willem de Vlamingh | Willem Buiter | John Willem Gran | Willem Verstegen | Willem van Hoogstraten | Willem van Enckevoirt | Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen | Willem Sassen | Willem P.C. Stemmer | Willem Frederik Hermans | Willem C. Vis Moot | Willem B. Drees | Willem Abraham Wythoff | Pieter Willem Korthals | Jan Willem Storm van Leeuwen |
Prior to this, the only known visit by Europeans to an area where S. spinulosa occurs was the voyage of Dutch mariner Willem de Vlamingh, who explored Rottnest Island and the Swan River in December 1696 and January 1697 respectively.