Captain Cook 1770
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| Born | 7 November 1728 |
|---|---|
| Place | Marton in Yorkshire |
| Died | 14 February 1779 | Age 50 |
Captain James Cook was a remarkable navigator born in Yorkshire. He discovered the East coast of Australia in 1770.
HMS Endeavour
On 26th August 1768, the Endeavour set sail from Plymouth, stocked with 18 months supplies, and with 94 men aboard. Accompanying Cook were Joseph Banks, the botanist, Daniel Solander, a naturalist, and Charles Green, from the Greenwich Observatory.
Cook sighted New Zealand on 6 October 1769, and landed at Poverty Bay two days later. He drew detailed and accurate maps of the whole coastline of both north and south islands.
Terra Australis
The continent was named after Terra Australis, Latin for South Land, had appeared on maps before its discovery.
The North-West area was first sighted by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman and recorded as New Holland not realising how big the continent was.
