Who "discovered" it first?
Captain James Cook is often credited as the "discoverer" of Australia. However, we know that Aboriginal people had been living in Australia for over 40,000 years before Cook landed.
There were also explorers who "found" Australia before Cook. Click on the compass to find out who they were and when they "found" Australia.
There were also explorers who "found" Australia before Cook. Click on the compass to find out who they were and when they "found" Australia.
Captain James Cook
In 1770 Cook was searching for "The Great South Land" when he came across the
East coast of Australia. He went on to chart a large section of the coast line,
claiming it for the British Empire. More information about Captain James Cook can be found by clicking on his picture.
Captain Cook
Written by Rebecca Levene: illustrated by David Cuzik
Print book available in BWPS's iCentre
James Cook had always wanted to be a sea captain, so when the chance came to sail around the world he was very excited! This book retells the life and times of Captain James Cook. It has been written for children, so the print is easy to understand and there are many coloured pictures, maps and diagrams to look at.
Available for loan from the non-fiction area of the iCentre under 910.92 LEV
Available for loan from the non-fiction area of the iCentre under 910.92 LEV
The Endeavour
The ship that Cook was sailing in when he went exploring for "The Great South Land" was called the Endeavour. A virtual tour of a replica of the Endeavour can be made by clicking on the sailing boat picture. This will take you to the student tALE site. You will need to enter your user name and password to access the site, then enter this code, X0JW5, to take you to the tour. (That is the number zero, not an o!)