Captain James Cook landing from HM Bark ENDEAVOUR, Botany Bay, 1770
Artist
Geoffrey Chapman Ingleton
(Australian, 1908 - 1998)
Date1930s
Object number00037425
NameEtching
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 507 x 407 mm, 300 g
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis etching by Geoffrey Ingleton depicts HMB ENDEAVOUR landing in Botany Bay in 1770. The crew are depicted busily furling the ship's sails, as the boats are launched and rowed to shore.HistoryCook's famous ship of discovery was built in 1764 and initially named the EARL OF PEMBROKE. It began service as a collier on the east coast of England and was later purchased by the British Admiralty in 1768. It was fitted out for a voyage to the South Pacific with the intention of viewing the transit of Venus and locating the Great South Land. The Royal Navy renamed the vessel HMB ENDEAVOUR.
Under Cook's command and during his first expedition to the Pacific HMB ENDEAVOUR sailed to Tahiti to view the transit of Venus in June 1769. Cook then sailed south and reached New Zealand in October 1769. After mapping both the north and south islands, Cook started the journey home. It was during this voyage that he mapped the east coast of Australia.
An attempt to make an initial landing on 28 April 1770 failed due to rough surf, and Cook sailed ENDEAVOUR on to a calm bay, now known as Botany Bay. Here on 29 April 1770, Cook and his crew first set foot on Australian soil. Needing to replenish water and gather fodder for livestock, the ship's boats were launched. When two Aboriginal men opposed their attempts to land, Cook ordered shots to be fired to warn them away. The first meeting between Cook and the Aboriginal people of Australia was thus violent and relations remained tense throughout the visit. The extensive report Cook complied on Botany Bay influenced the decision to establish a penal settlement in Australia in 1788.
When Cook returned to England from his circumnavigation in 1771, the Admiralty once again refitted ENDEAVOUR. This time it was used as a store ship for voyages to the Falkland Islands. In 1775 the ENDEAVOUR was discharged from the Royal Navy and, renamed the LORD SANDWICH, it transported troops to America. It is believed that the British sank the ship with other vessels in 1778 at the entrance to Newport Harbor (Rhode Island) in order to protect the town from a French fleet.
SignificanceGeoffrey Ingleton completed numerous etchings depicting famous events relating to Australian maritime history. In this work he acknowledges the significance of the landing of HMB ENDEAVOUR at Botany Bay in 1770. Captain James Cook later claimed the east coast of Australia for England, and named it 'New South Wales'. His exploration of Botany Bay contributed to the recommendation of the area for a British penal settlement.