Why the term Australasia remains a geographical puzzle with no fixed borders

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Australasia is a term that refuses to be pinned down. While it always includes Australia and New Zealand, its boundaries shift depending on who is speaking and when. From its 18th-century origins to modern dictionary definitions, the region remains an ambiguous, ever-expanding concept that defies simple cartographic precision.

The term Australasia was first coined in 1756 by Charles de Brosses in his work Histoire des navigations aux terres australes. Derived from the Latin for south of Asia, de Brosses intended the name to distinguish this specific area from Polynesia and the southeast Pacific. Despite this clear linguistic origin, the term has never possessed a precise geographical definition, leading to widely varying interpretations that persist today.

In its most restrictive sense, particularly within New Zealand, the term refers exclusively to Australia and New Zealand. However, broader definitions frequently incorporate New Guinea and Melanesia. Some interpretations extend even further, encompassing the Malay Archipelago, the Philippines, Micronesia, and Polynesia. In extreme, less common instances, the term has even been used to include the Hawaiian Islands or Antarctica, effectively making it coterminous with the entire region of Oceania.

The usage of the term has also evolved through different historical and geopolitical lenses. During the late 19th century, it was commonly used to describe the British colonies south of Asia, specifically the Australian colonies and New Zealand. By the early 20th century, German geopoliticians viewed the region as a strategic counterweight to their own interests in the South Sea, highlighting how the term has served political agendas as much as geographical ones. Today, dictionaries like the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster continue to offer conflicting definitions, reflecting the enduring ambiguity of a label that remains as fluid as the waters it describes.

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