Lieutenant James Cook (not yet a captain) first landed inside the southern headland of botany Bay, on 29 April 1770. He actually first sighted land at Point Hicks, near the present-day border of NSW and Victoria.
The aims of this first expedition were to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the Sun (3-4 June of that year), and to seek evidence of the postulated Terra Australis Incognita or "unknown southern land".
The name "Australia" was not determined by Captain Cook. It was derived from the name proposed by Matthew Flinders, which was "Terra Australis". James Cook named the eastern coast "New South Wales" because it reminded him of Wales.
Captain Cook did not discover Australia.His mission was to observe the transit of Venus from Tahiti, and then to continue on to see if Terra Australis Incognitaexisted. Cook's ship, the 'Endeavour', departed England, on 25 August 1768.
From the 1600s, the Dutch traders called Australia New Holland. When Captain James Cook charted the eastern coast in 1770, he claimed it for England under the name of New South Wales. In between this time, some map-makers of the 1700s called it the Great South Land. Prior to this it was called Terra Australis Incognita: the unknown Southern land.Matthew Flinders was the one who first proposed the name "Terra Australis", which became "Australia", the name adopted in 1824.
He didn't. James Cook did not need to look for New Holland. The Dutch maps made it quite clear where it was. Cook charted the east coast after he first sighted land on 19 April 1770.James Cook was under secret orders to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the unknown southern land, which was believed to extend possibly as far as the Antarctic. It was not initially realised that this was actually the same as New Holland.
This was during Cook's first voyage, which was from August 1768 to July 1771. James Cook was not yet a captain when he was under secret orders to search for Terra Australis.
The aims of this first expedition were to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the Sun (3-4 June of that year), and to seek evidence of the postulated Terra Australis Incognita or "unknown southern land".
The name "Australia" was not determined by Captain Cook. It was derived from the name proposed by Matthew Flinders, which was "Terra Australis". James Cook named the eastern coast "New South Wales" because it reminded him of Wales.
No. James Cook only named the eastern half of the continent New South Wales.The name "Australia" was derived from the name proposed by Matthew Flinders, which was "Terra Australis". Captain Cook named the eastern coast "New South Wales" because it reminded him of Wales.
Captain Cook did not find Australia. Dutch explorers had discovered the Australian continent in 1616, and named it "New Holland". Because the Dutch were not really interested in exploring the land, it remained unknown. Therefore, on early maps it was referred to as "Terra Australis Incognita" - "The Unknown South Land".
Captain Cook did not discover Australia.His mission was to observe the transit of Venus from Tahiti, and then to continue on to see if Terra Australis Incognitaexisted. Cook's ship, the 'Endeavour', departed England, on 25 August 1768.
From the 1600s, the Dutch traders called Australia New Holland. When Captain James Cook charted the eastern coast in 1770, he claimed it for England under the name of New South Wales. In between this time, some map-makers of the 1700s called it the Great South Land. Prior to this it was called Terra Australis Incognita: the unknown Southern land.Matthew Flinders was the one who first proposed the name "Terra Australis", which became "Australia", the name adopted in 1824.
James Cook did not need to look for New Holland. The Dutch maps made it quite clear where it was.James Cook was under secret orders to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the unknown southern land, which was believed to extend possibly as far as the Antarctic. It was not realised that this was actually the same as New Holland.
On James Cook's first journey, departing in 1768, he commanded the 'Endeavour' on an expedition to chart the transit of Venus from the vantage point of Tahiti. Cook was then under secret orders to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the great continent which some believed to extend round the pole.
James Cook was not actually looking for Australia. The British were well aware of the existence of Australia, both through the journeys of the Dutch and the English pirate William Dampier.James Cook's orders were to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the unknown southern land. This was, at the time, believed to be quite different to the Australian continent. Naturally, as such a land does not exist, James Cook never found it. He had to settle for Australia, as it came to be known.
He didn't. James Cook did not need to look for New Holland. The Dutch maps made it quite clear where it was. Cook charted the east coast after he first sighted land on 19 April 1770.James Cook was under secret orders to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the unknown southern land, which was believed to extend possibly as far as the Antarctic. It was not initially realised that this was actually the same as New Holland.
James Cook was not searching specifically for Australia. He was sent to explore whether there really was a great southern continent. He found the east coast of New Holland, previously discovered by the Dutch, but what he was really looking for was "Terra Australis Incognita", the unknown Southern Land, which was believed to be a great Southern landmass.