Why is Captain Cook so important to the world today?

Answer 1

Despite popular opinion, Captain Cook neither discovered nor named Australia.

However, he is significant in Australian history for having been the first to map the eastern coast of the continent.

Prior to Cook's arrival in 1770, Australia was known variously as "New Holland" and the "Great Unknown Southern Land" by the Dutch and Portuguese traders who had passed by the continent on their way to Asia. The first English sea captain to visit Australia, William Dampier, was most unimpressed by the barren landscape of the northwest, and returned only negative reports to England.

It was not until James Cook's successful voyage which involved charting the eastern coast of Australia, that New South Wales was seen as a viable proposition for a convict colony. In particular, it was endorsed by Sir Joseph Banks, the influential botanist who travelled with Cook. Banks was one of three botanists aboard Cook's ship "The Endeavour", and he was a passionate advocate of British settlement and colonisation of the Australian continent. It was largely upon Cook's and Banks's recommendation that Australian ultimately was colonised by the British, and not by another power later. Because of Cook's positive report to England was enough to convince the authorities that it was worth colonising the continent - and so the history of white settlement in Australia began.

Unfortunately, Cook was also the one who declared Australia to be terra nullius - a land without ownership, and he did not recognise the indigenous people as the true "owners" of the land. Upon European settlement, and for many generations afterwards, the indigenous people were wrongly regarded as an inferior species. As a result, they suffered terrible injustices, displacement and loss of culture. To this day, the indigenous people see Cook as an invader.

Answer 2

James Cook was the first European to explore Australia's fertile eastern coast. He arrived at the southeastern corner in April 1770 and continued north, charting the coast in some detail, before returning a favourable report to England. It was this report which convinced the authorities to colonise the Australian continent with convicts. So James Cook (not actually a Captain when he charted the coast, but a Lieutenant) can be credited as one of the reasons why Australia was colonised.

Captain Arthur Phillip was the First Governor of the colony of New South Wales, and captain of the First Fleet of convicts to arrive on Australia's shores. He was an explorer in his own right, travelling overland to try to find land to enable the colony to expand and support new settlers and farms. He is remembered as being the one whose practical ideas helped the colony survive during the early years, even though it was threatened by starvation. Without the wisdom of someone like Arthur Phillip, the colony would not have flourished.

Answer 3

I think he was one of the first europeans to discover New Zealand.

It is a popular misconception that James Cook discovered New Zealand. He didn't. Nor did he discover Australia.

Captain James Cook made many significant contributions to exploration. Arguably his most important was when he circumnavigated and charted New Zealand (1769) and, several months later, the Eastern coast of Australia, in 1770. After he charted the east coast of Australia in much detail, he returned a favourable report to England. It was this report and recommendation which convinced the authorities to colonise the Australian continent with convicts. It was also on this journey that Cook claimed Australia and New Zealand for the British empire. For many years, Australian schoolchildren were incorrectly taught that "Captain Cook discovered Australia".

On Cook's second journey which lasted from 1772-1775, he commanded the 'Resolution' and the 'Adventure' on an expedition to the South Pacific, disproving the rumour of a great southern continent, exploring the Antarctic Ocean, New Hebrides and New Caledonia. Cook was the first European explorer to cross the Antarctic Circle, although he was never able to reach the continent, due to pack ice and the freezing of his sails.

On his third journey, commencing in 1776, Cook visited and named the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii, and unsuccessfully sought a northwest passage along the coast of North America. On his way back to England, he stopped at Hawaii again. After a boat was stolen by natives, he and his crew had an altercation with the Hawaiians. On 14 February 1779, Cook was speared by Hawaiian natives.

Answer 4

He was an outstanding person with great potential and is a great role model.

Answer 5

James Cook was the first European explorer to circumnavigate and chart the coastline of New zealand.