Captain James Cook: First Landfall in New Zealand
EducationCaptain James Cook: First Landfall in New Zealand
Captain James Cook is one of the most famous British explorers. He made three voyages into the Pacific, and along with his talented crew, made discoveries that shaped the future of New Zealand and Australia.
Cook set sail from Plymouth in the Endeavour on 26 August 1768. His instructions were to visit Tahiti in the Pacific Ocean and observe the transit of Venus across the sun. After this he was to sail south, investigating the possible existence of Terra Australis, a great southern continent. Although he never found a great southern continent, James Cook explored New Zealand and Australia. Cook did have access to a little information, as the Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, had partially explored the coastline of the two countries about a century earlier.
Nicholas Young
On 6 October 1769, nearly two months after leaving Tahiti, Nicholas Young, 12 year old cabin boy and son of the surgeon on board the Endeavour, was the first to sight land in New Zealand. Cook had offered a reward of rum to the first person to sight land and promised to name that piece of land after him. The headland he sighted is now called Young Nick’s Head.
First Landfall
Two days later the Endeavour anchored on the east side of the Turanganui River where the city of Gisborne now stands. The sight of the ship, the likes of which had previously been unseen in those parts, was likened to an enormous bird with great white sails by the Maori people of the area.
Unfortunately, in spite of having the Tahitian high priest, Tupaia, on board the Endeavour to help with interpreting, several cultural misunderstandings occurred, resulting in shots being fired and several Maori men being killed.
Cook was upset about the unintended deaths and made a last attempt to capture Maori men in a canoe, believing if he could get them on board the Endeavour he could show them the intentions of the Europeans were friendly. However, the canoe paddled away at their approach.
Poverty Bay
Cook decided it was best to leave and so the Endeavour departed, continuing the journey southward along the coast. Cook named the area Poverty Bay as he had been unable to obtain fresh water or other needed refreshments. Even the botanist on board, Joseph Banks, complained he’d been able to get less than forty plant specimens.
Cook Commemoratives in Gisborne
A statue of Young Nick clinging to the Endeavour’s mast and pointing to the land he’d sighted now stands at the mouth of the Turanganui River.
There is also a statue of Cook where he supposedly first stepped ashore onto the new land. The location is now known as the Cook Landing Site National Historic Reserve.
Captain James Cook's contribution to place names in New Zealand: