![]() ![]() On this trip, he had circumnavigated the world for a second time. He travelled through vast areas of the Pacific Ocean and even into the Antarctic Circle – there was no other Southern Continent. He was still in search of the mysterious Southern Continent the Royal Navy was keen to chart. The next year, Captain Cook set sail again on the same journey. The Endeavour then continued North, through Torres Strait, over the Indian Ocean and round Africa back to England!Ĭaptain Cook had not found the Southern Continent that the Royal Navy was looking for – somewhere other than Australia. They entered Botany Bay where they made contact with Indigenous peoples. Once Cook completed his work on the Transit of Venus, he then proceeded to New Zealand where he mapped the coast and then continued to Australia, which was already known as New Holland.Ĭook and his crewmembers were the first known Europeans to see and chart the east coast of Australia in 1770. ‘so soon as the Observation of the Transit of the Planet Venus shall be finished’ to proceed to search for ‘a Continent or Land of great extent, may be found to the Southward’ and ‘You are also with the Consent of the Natives to take Possession of Convenient Situations in the Country in the Name of the King of Great Britain or if you find the Country uninhabited take Possession for his Majesty by setting up Proper Marks and Inscriptions, as first discoverers and possessors.’ However, the Royal Navy also gave Captain Cook some special instructions: ![]() It was thought that if accurate measurements were made of this event, but in very different and distant parts of the world, this would enable us to work out the distance between the sun and the earth. Why was he going there you ask? One of the reasons was to make observations of the phenomenon called the Transit of Venus. When Captain Cook set sail for the Pacific on his ship, the Endeavour, he was heading to parts of the world that were little-known and uncharted. What was Captain Cook’s secret mission?Ĭaptain Cook made three unbelievable voyages in his lifetime and he also had a secret mission! Let’s take a look at his three incredible voyages and discover what his top secret assignment was all about…Ĭaptain James Cook landing in Botany Bay, New South Wales, 1770 Captain Cook’s First Voyage 1768-1771 He also collected lots of samples of flora and fauna from new places and he recorded customs and interactions with native peoples. Cook proved that there was no great ‘Southern Continent’ for example. He also proved some theories to be wrong. ![]() Cook mapped the east coast of Australia – this paved the way for British settlement 18 years later. What is Captain Cook famous for?Ĭaptain Cook is considered one of the greatest navigators and explorers of all time and, even before his death, was celebrated as a British national hero and icon. He was promoted to Lieutenant for what became his First Voyage. His skill and knowledge of astronomy was noticed by the Royal Navy and he was appointed as the leader of an astronomical expedition that the Royal Society was organising. By 1758 he was the master of his own ship and he went to Canada as part of his service to the navy.Ĭook studied maths, charting, geography and astronomy – and his hard work paid off. James Cook was only 18 years old when he became an apprentice in the British merchant navy. All aboard, we’re about to take a trip back in time to when Captain Cook sailed into Sydney Harbour and changed the course of Australia’s history!Įver wondered what it would like to be an explorer in the 18 th Century? Find everything you need to know about one of Europe’s most famous adventurers, Captain James Cook…Ĭirca 1770: English explorer and Fellow of the Royal Society, Captain James Cook (1728 – 1779) Who was Captain Cook and how did he become an explorer? ![]()
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