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R egardless of where or whether the HMS
Endeavour has been found, the vessel
and Captain James Cook continue to
influence the world almost 250 years after their
famous voyages.
Inspired by this remarkable explorer and his
ship was Gene Roddenberry, creator of the
acclaimed science-fiction series Star Trek. He
named his fictional hero James T. Kirk and his
spacecraft The Enterprise.
The memorable spoken line in Star Trek’s
opening credits “... to boldly go where no man
has gone before” was a take on a line in Cook’s
journal 30 January, 1774:
“I whose ambition leads me not only farther
than any other man has been before me, but as
far as I think it possible for man to go.”
COOK MAKES HISTORY
ON THE COROMANDEL
The peninsula is rich in the history of Captain
Cook. Mercury Bay and Thames are just two of
many mapped place names that continue from
his exploration and charting of the area. He
travelled and accurately mapped both islands of
New Zealand.
There are many anniversary dates to celebrate
around Cook’s adventures in and after 1769.
In just a few years time, we will be marking a
very important anniversary locally – 250 years
since Cook’s first visit to Mercury Bay, and
organisation of the celebrations are already
under way (see article at right).
A SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION
Of course, Cook’s voyage was primarily
exploratory – he was sent with an impressive
‘to do’ list of scientific missions from the Royal
Society. However, he also had sealed Royal
Navy orders to search for Terra Australis (the
continent of Australia) and to plant a British flag
on its coast.
One major objective was to get astronomical
measurements of transits across the face
of the Sun by Venus, taken from Tahiti, and
by Mercury, from NZ. These readings were
coordinated with others’ reports from elsewhere
on the globe. When combined, these helped to
determine the distance between the Earth and
the Sun.
to boldly go...
Endeavour’s Replica to Visit During
Captain Cook’s 2019 Mercury Bay
Commemoration
On 6 October, 1769, the ship’s boy aboard Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavourfirst
sighted New Zealand’s shores near Poverty Bay. Nicholas Young was awarded a
gallon of rum, and Cook named the area Young Nick’s Head in his honour.
Cook soon set to work charting north up the coastline, and on 9 November, the
captain and astronomer Charles Green pulled ashore to measure the transit of
Mercury across the sun, to complement the earlier readings they had taken in Tahiti
during the Venus transit. Mercury Bay and Cooks Beach are named after this event.
Everyone is looking forward to the momentous visit from the Sydney-based HMS
Endeavourreplica .From 21 to 28 October 2019, it will anchor in and around Mercury
Bay with a side trip up the Firth of Thames, celebrating Cook’s First Voyage to New
Zealand in 1769. The ship arrives after sailing from its first stop in Gisborne. It will then
make a brief stop in Auckland, before continuing on Cook’s original journey to the Bay
of Islands and Queen Charlotte Sound, with a stop in Wellington.
Several events are already planned to commemorate this anniversary some three
years off including a super yacht race, official ceremonies and a homecoming week.
Look for a dedicated Cook’s website, development of a board walk at the Cooks
Beach wetlands, and various navigational and heritage monuments constructed as
part of a Whitianga town centre upgrade.
Mercury Bay Community Board Chair Paul Kelly and Ngati Hei leader Joe Davis were
selected for a national co-ordinating committee which includes TCDC, businesses,
and community organisations.
They invite groups to create their own events and add to the excitement. To suggest an
activity or volunteer for a committee, contact
The Endeavour Replica...
Based at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, this is a fully
functioning, seagoing vessel – one of the most accurate boat replicas in the world.
Construction of the Endeavourreplica began in 1988, and the ship was launched
5 years later after almost 500,000 hours of labour. Since then, she has sailed over
170,000 nautical miles, voyaged twice around the world, and visited 29 countries
and many Pacific islands,
Hundreds of thousands of visitors have come on board to see how Cook and his
men lived. When you tour the ship, you may wonder whether James Cook and his
crew have just stepped ashore somewhere on their voyage. The table is set, clothes
are hung and the cat is slumbering.
On board this beautifully crafted ship, you glimpse a sailor’s life during the time of
history’s great maritime adventures, and marvel at the boat itself, which contains
some 30km of rigging, 750 wooden pulleys, masts and spars that carry 28 sails, a
huge cooking area, Cook’s dining cabin and more.
When the ship is not travelling, she is moored at the wharves near the maritime
museum. You can even book a 5–10 day cruise or hire it as a venue! All hands on
deck – what will it be? Cocktails or heaving on a line?
What is it like to help sail her? See here: Two of many NZ
commemorative stamps
honouring Captain James Cook.
Making
the news
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