I'm gonna come right out and say it. Cook did not discover Australia. Even if you discount the Indigenous people who have been here for more than 60,000 years. He followed maps here, because many other European navigators had mapped the continent.
Ships from all over Europe had been to this continent, from 1606. Particularly the Dutch, who had maps covering the north, west and south coasts. Anyone who doesn't understand Cook had access to those maps doesn't know history.
If you aren't aware of this you need to know that there are parts of the north coast of Australia that have Dutch names, that predate Cooks arrival and are still in use. Examples are Arnhem land and the Coen river. You could buy maps with those places on them.
Cook's was a good navigator, that is how he was able to arrive almost precisely at the corner of the south east corner of the continent, right where the Dutch maps of the coast finished. But we can't ever let people forget Cook followed maps to the continent.
BTW, Cook was not even the first English captain to find Australia. The crew of a ship called the Tryall was shipwrecked off the coast of WA in 1622, they were the first British to land on the continent or site land in what's known as Australia.
William Dampier, a British privateer sailed to this continent in 1788, looking for the wreck of the Tryall. So Cook wasn't even the second British captain to "discover" Australia
Cook was a good navigator but discovered NOTHING. He mapped the east coast but he discovered nothing
Cook was a good navigator but discovered NOTHING. He mapped the east coast but he discovered nothing
Oh, and BTW, there's evidence that Cook did not even claim possession of Australia on "Possession island". The evidence? There were 2 journals written about that trip. Cook's, edited and published while Cook was on another trip mentioned it, and Banks' which doesn't mention it.
When you look into it the fact that Banks didn't mention it in his journal, he did an entry that day but mentioned no declaration of possession or volley of cannon in celebration. We need to accept the evidence suggests that Cook's editors added the possession bit in later.
This is covered in more detail in my book, Lies, Damned Lies BTW. The truths about Cook don't even come close to matching up with his legend. booktopia.com.au/lies-damned-li…
More on Cook. He did find a place for a colony, Botany bay, but when the colonisers/invaders arrived here they discovered Botany bay was unsuitable, too muddy and no fresh water. They eventually built Sydney in Sydney harbor, one of the safest harbors on Earth ...
Oh, and Cook completely failed to notice Sydney Harbor, it's not on his maps. He mapped Botany Bay, named after the samples Banks collected there, but missed Sydney harbor completely.
Cook was not really important to Australia's history. He achieved little other than mapping the east coast and telling the British Admiralty where they could find a harbor, that was unfit for a colony.
Lets acknowledge this, obsession with Cook is just white nationalist wank.
Lets acknowledge this, obsession with Cook is just white nationalist wank.
Ooops, Dampier was in 1688, not 1788. Damned typos
Also this: Cook was a nobody via @YouTube (BTW, that's me @clairegcoleman)
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
