It is a common misconception that Captain Cook discovered Australia. He did not. The Australian continent had been populated by Aborigines for thousands of years, and visited by numerous Asian traders and, later, explorers since the first known European visitor in 1616. Captain James Cook was the first European to sight and chart the eastern coast of Australia, which he did between April and August 1770.
James Cook (still a lieutenant at this stage) discovered and named Botany Bay on Australia's east coast in April 1770.
James Cook (not yet a captain) claimed New South Wales for Great Britain in 1770.
Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook reached the eastern coast of Australia in April 1770. He first sighted and named Point Hicks on the southeastern coast, and gradually moved northwards.
James Cook raised the British flag on Australia's eastern coast in 1770.
James Cook never settled in Australia. After charting the eastern coast of the continent in 1770, he returned to England. During his life, he made two more significant voyages, but his home remained in England.
James Cook (still a lieutenant at this stage) discovered and named Botany Bay on Australia's east coast in April 1770.
James Cook (not yet a captain) explored New Zealand in 1769, just prior to his arrival in Australia.
James Cook (not yet a captain) claimed New South Wales for Great Britain in 1770.
Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook reached the eastern coast of Australia in April 1770. He first sighted and named Point Hicks on the southeastern coast, and gradually moved northwards.
1 year.
James Cook raised the British flag on Australia's eastern coast in 1770.
James Cook never settled in Australia. After charting the eastern coast of the continent in 1770, he returned to England. During his life, he made two more significant voyages, but his home remained in England.
Captain Cook's first journey to the eastern coast of Australia was in 1770. He charted and explored along the coast between April and August of that year, naming it New South Wales.
The question proceeds from a false assumption. James Cook did not discover Australia; nor was he a Captain at the time he charted the eastern coast. James Cook was still a Lieutenant in charge of the Endeavour when he charted the eastern coast of Australia and claimed it for Great Britain on 22 August 1770, calling it New South Wales. He charted the east coast between April and August of that year. For this reason, Cook is often wrongly credited with discovering Australia.
Captain Cook did not discover Australia.James Cook, who was not yet a captain when he reached Australia, did not discover Australia. He was the first known European to sight the eastern coast, and he did so in April 1770, first sighting the southeast corner which he named Point Hicks.He claimed the eastern half of the Australian continent for England, under the name of New South Wales, in August 1770.
No. Quite simply, Cook did not discover Australia. Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook was simply the first European to record the discovery of the eastern coastline of Australia, in April 1770. The first undisputed sighting of and landing on Australia was much earlier, by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in March 1606. The reason why Cook is often given credit as the discoverer of Australia was because it was upon his recommendation that Australia was actually settled by the British. Cook charted the eastern coast of Australia, and he was the one who claimed it in the name of Great Britain in 1770, calling it New South Wales. He charted the east coast between April and August of that year.
Cook and The Endeavor left on their expedition from Plymouth on Aug. 26, 1768. The ship reached Tahiti in April 1769. New Zealand was discovered on Oct. 7, 1769 before moving on to the eastern coast of Australia. It returned back to England on July 13, 1771.