Honouring Captain Cook and the 250th anniversary of his Botany Bay landing

A portrait of James Cook, painted by Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, circa 1775

The 29th of April 2020 is a significant date in Australian history, because it’s the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s landing at Botany Bay in NSW.

Cook was an outstanding seaman, cartographer, explorer, and navigator, and his heroic circumnavigating of the globe in a sailing ship on his First Voyage should always be honoured.

In discovering and charting the east coast of Australia, and claiming it for the British crown, Cook laid the foundation for the eventual colonisation and settlement of what became known as Australia.

Australians should forever honour the great accomplishments of Captain James Cook.


References:
On this day: Captain James Cook sets sail”, Australian Geographic
Cook’s 1770 Voyage – 250 years on”, Australian National Maritime Museum
James Cook”, Wikipedia
29 April, 1770”, Captain Cook Society
Cook’s Journal: Daily Entries: 29 April 1770”, South Seas – Voyaging and Cross-Cultural Encounters in the Pacific (1760-1800), National Library of Australia

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