Wiebbe Hayes
Wiebbe Hayes | |
|---|---|
Hayes' statue in Geraldton, Western Australia | |
| Born | Unknown date, c. 1587 Winschoten, Dutch Republic |
| Died | Unknown date Unknown location |
| Allegiance | Dutch East India Company |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Conflict(s) | Shipwreck of the Batavia |
Wiebbe Hayes (born c. 1587) was a Dutch soldier known for his leading role in the suppression of Jeronimus Cornelisz's massacre of shipwreck survivors in 1629, after the merchant ship Batavia was wrecked in the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain of coral islands off the west coast of Australia.
Almost all that is known of the shipwreck and aftermath stems from a book by the expedition's commander, Francisco Pelsaert, who quickly absented himself after the shipwreck and reached safety before returning with the Sardam to rescue the survivors.