Captain James Cook 2

Fact sheet
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006

Captain Cook's name is synonymous with the world's greatest explorers and navigators. During the late eighteenth century, Cook's expeditions changed the world. His voyages to the South Pacific brought two hemispheres together, contributing enormously to European knowledge of the Southern Hemisphere, its geography, flora, fauna and Indigenous civilisations.
Cook's three voyages to the Pacific Ocean led to the British claiming the east coast of Australia, the European discovery of many Pacific Islands and the first circumnavigation and mapping of Newfoundland and New Zealand.
In addition to his geographical accomplishments, Captain Cook made the first contact between Europeans and many Indigenous civilisations of the South Pacific, leading to important anthropological discoveries.
From humble beginnings
James Cook was not part of the landed gentry; at the age of 13 Cook was working along side his father, a farm labourer. His education began at a local school, paid for by his father's employer, and at 16 he was steered in the direction of a career in retail at a grocer/haberdashery in the coastal town of Staithes.
Deemed unsuitable for the shop, at age 17, Cook gained an apprenticeship in the Merchant Navy, shipping coal along the coast between Tyne and London.
During his apprenticeship Cook showed a flair for astronomy, navigation, algebra and trigonometry.
In 1755, Cook joined the Royal Navy, where he served in the Seven Years' War and was quickly promoted through the ranks. In recognition of his accurate navigation and sailing skills, in 1768 Cook was chosen to lead a scientific expedition to the South Pacific. The expedition had a secret purpose – to find the rumoured great southern continent (Terra Australis Incognita), which it was hoped would provide greater trading power for Britain. Also on board was Joseph Banks, a leading scientist from the Royal Geographical Society and fellow botanist, Daniel Solander, from Sweden. Based on his observations, Banks became one of the leading advocates of colonising Australia. Between them Banks and Solander collected more than 3,000 specimens, greatly enriching knowledge of the region.

The Endeavour
The first voyage - The Endeavour
Commanding HM Bark Endeavour, Cook arrived in Tahiti (encountered by another British explorer, Samuel Wallis, in 1767) eight months after setting sail, where the expedition carried out their scientific studies. Upon completion Cook turned his attention to his secret mission – the discovery of the great southern land. Sailing south in October 1769 Cook reached New Zealand, as ‘discovered' by Abel Tasman in 1642. Mapping the north and south islands during the following six months it was clear that this was not the rumoured great south land and so Cook commenced the voyage home.
It was during this voyage that Cook first approached eastern Australia. An attempt to land on 28 April 1770 failed due to rough surf so Cook sailed the Endeavour around to a calm bay, what is now known as Botany Bay, where on 29 April 1770 Cook and his crew first set foot on Australian soil.
Cook's voyage continued north along the coast, where he narrowly avoided being wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef and was forced to undertake repairs in what is now called Cooktown in far north Queensland.
Cook and his crew eventually returned home in July 1771 bringing with them many botanical specimens and reports of their encounters with the many Indigenous peoples they met throughout the journey.
The second voyage - HMS resolution and adventure
In July 1772 Cook embarked on his second expedition to the South Pacific, this time with the intention of proving conclusively the existence of the great southern continent.
This epic voyage took two ships, HMS Resolution (commanded by Cook) and HMS Adventure, through the Atlantic, around the Cape of Good Hope in Southern Africa and into the pack ice of the Antarctic Circle. In March 1773 Cook arrived once more in New Zealand. Over the next months Cook charted many South Pacific islands and made important anthropological discoveries about the people of the area. Sailing into the pack ice of the Antarctic again Cook concluded that the great southern land did not exist. Although he did not sight land, due to ice impeding the ship's progress, Cook's expedition was the first to the Antarctic.
In July 1775 Cook arrived back to England having circumnavigated the globe via Cape Horn in South America.
The third voyage - HMS discovery
Captain Cook's third and final voyage to chart the north-west passage between the Atlantic and Pacific departed England in 1776. Commanding HMS Discovery, Cook and his crew sailed to New Zealand and then headed north to the Cook Islands and then Hawaii (named the Sandwich Islands by Cook). Cook went on to chart the coast of British Columbia and Alaska before returning to Hawaii for the winter.
Cook's fate
On 14 February 1779, some local people stole one of the ship's boats. Cook reacted by taking their chief hostage, which resulted in violence during which Cook was killed.
This was a tragic end to the life of one of the world's greatest navigators and explorers.
Although he made few original discoveries, Cook mapped vast areas of the globe, from the Arctic to the far south, he dispelled the myth of the great southern continent and he pioneered navigation and sailing techniques saving the lives of sailors through his understanding of conditions such as scurvy.
Captain James Cook - Key events and dates
27 October 1728: James Cook is born in North Yorkshire, England
1745: At age 17 Cook takes an apprenticeship in the Merchant Navy
1755: Cook joined the British Royal Navy, aged 18
1756 – 1763: Cook served in the Seven Years' War with France during which time he mapped Quebec and the St Lawrence River in Canada
1763: Cook is assigned to map the Newfoundland coast by the Royal Navy
1768: Cook leads his first scientific expedition to the South Pacific on board HMB Endeavour
October 1769: Cook arrives in New Zealand
29 April 1770: Cook and his crew set foot on Australia for the first time at Botany Bay
July 1771: Cook returns to England
July 1772: Cook embarks on his second expedition to search for the great southern continent aboard HMS Resolution
March 1773: Cook arrives in New Zealand and begins mapping the South Pacific islands
July 1775: Cook returns to England via the Antarctic Circle and Cape Horn
1776: Cook departs England on HMS Discovery to chart the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific
14 February 1779: Cook is killed at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaiian Islands
Pointing the way to a new world
The extensive report Cook had given about Botany Bay, including the safeness of the harbour and availability of fresh water, quickly became the 'sign post' Captain Arthur Phillip aimed for with the First Fleet, arriving on 18 January 1788. At the same time Cook's notes were being used by a French explorer, Captain La Perouse, to navigate to this new world.
La Perouse arrived just days after the First Fleet, anchoring on 24 January 1788. He was welcomed by Captain Phillip, who by now had observed Cook had been mistaken about how suitable the area was for settlement. Phillip began the process of transferring the colony further north to Sydney Cove, raising the British flag on 26 January 1788 and marking the birth of a new nation.