Tuesday 3 February 2009

ABC Wednesday C for Cooktown, Queensland, Australia



Cooktown is the place where my daughter lives. I live in Holland.

Click on photos to enlarge to see more details.



1.Musical Boat, which contains musical instruments
2.Market on Saturdays






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3.Milbi Wall= Wall of tales ( see my post of 14th October 2008 )
4.Cook's Landing ( here we often had a cup of coffee and a meal)

Cooktown is situated in the north-east of Australia in Queensland
The site of modern Cooktown was the meeting place of two vastly different cultures when, in June 1770, the local Aboriginal Guugu Yimithirr tribe cautiously watched the crippled sailing vessel – His Majesty's Bark Endeavour – limp up the coast of their territory seeking a safe harbour after sustaining serious damage to its wooden hull from running aground on Endeavour Reef south of Cooktown. The Guugu Yimithirr saw Endeavour beached in the calm waters near the mouth of their river, which they called "Wahalumbaal". James Cook wrote: “. . . it was happy for us that a place of refuge was at hand; for we soon found that the ship would not work, and it is remarkable that in the whole course of our voyage we had seen no place that our present circumstances could have afforded us the same relief".


The British crew spent seven weeks on the site of the present day Cooktown, repairing their ship, replenishing food and water supplies, and caring for their sick. While the wealthy scientist, Joseph Banks, and Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander, who accompanied Cook on the expedition, were collecting, preserving and documenting many new species of plants, the young artist Sydney Parkinson was illustrating them. He was the first English artist to portray Aboriginal people from direct observation.

After some weeks, Banks met and spoke with the local people, recording about 50 Guugu Yimithirr words, including the name of the intriguing animal the natives called gangurru (which he transcribed as “Kangaru”). The kangaroo was first seen by European settlers on Grassy Hill during this trip.


Cook named the river the “Endeavour”, after his ship, and, as they sailed north, he hoisted the flag known as the 'Queen Anne Jack' and claimed possession of the whole eastern coast of Australia for Britain. He named Cape York Peninsula after the then HRH the Duke of York ("The Grand Old Duke of York").






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52 comments:

Gigi Ann said...

Reader Wil,

That was quite an interesting post today. I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you for sharing that historic information.

I hope you have a fabulous day!

antigoni said...

Great place. I'm sure all have lots of fun there.

I posted the tag thing.

The Weaver of Grass said...

We live close to Captain James Cook country reader wil. I think he went to school in Great Ayton, not so far from here. And there is a superb Cook museum in Middlesbrough - also the main, very large and modern hospital is called James Cook Hospital - so he is greatly thought of round here.

antigoni said...

Thank you for your very nice words for me. Wil, i would like to meet you some day. You are very nice person and a very good friend.

George said...

Thanks for a very interesting post. I don't think we know enough about Captain Cook over here.

Carol Murdock said...

Wil........I've always dreamed of seeing Australia.....via your excellent blog, I get to! Thanks!

SandyCarlson said...

I would love to experience your part of the world. So beautiful, bright, warm. Thanks for the virtual tour.

Rune Eide said...

Thank you for sharing with us these details of Australian history. I especially liked wall of tales. I hope you at some time could post a close-up of the inscriptions.

Anonymous said...

Very nice photos, Wil. ALso interesting reading.

Lene said...

Great photos from a wonderful place - and interesting reading :) Thank you for shaering :)

Fotosekken said...

Your photos are beautiful for us up here in the freezing north. A little vacation almost. Thank you. =o)

Liz Hinds said...

It's quite a cheek, isn't it, going and laying claim to a country that another man lives in? Interesting post.

Richard Lawry said...

Cooktown looks like a great place to visit.

An Arkie's Musings

gone to the dogs said...

C is also for connections, and here is one for you. I live in Corner Brook Newfoundland and we have a memorial to Captain James Cook as he was responsible for the early mapping of Newfoundland, and Cooktown is named for Captain James Cook. Loved your post. Thanks.

Brenda said...

You always have such interesting posts Wil. Very interesting read and the photos are wonderful!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Fascinating and educational. Many of my island ancestors were sailors so this will be another to check out.

Anonymous said...

If I can get over how long it takes to get there I'd love to visit Australia someday...
Happy ABC's to you.

bass said...

I love the photo with the musical boat, I hope it sings those mellow ones :) It really is cool with the palm trees lining. Just as we have a lot of palm trees here.

Cloudia said...

"the young artist Sydney Parkinson was illustrating them. He was the first English artist to portray Aboriginal people from direct observation."
Wonder if he was the same who made the first sketches of Hawaiians also? Cook, of course, died in Kealakekua Bay Hawaii. I've been to the forlorn spot. Near me is the discovery Bay condominium with its Endeavor and Discovery Towers. RIP Capt. Cook. Aloha!

Rinkly Rimes said...

A slice of our history! The storm clouds in one shot remind me that cyclones arrive without warning!

Tumblewords: said...

I've heard of Cooktown, never been there but I've fallen in love with it today through your photos. They are brilliant and the narrative that accompanies is superb. Thank you!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Ah, it looks so warm there! Lovely "C" contribution, Wil.

I played this week, for the first time since last September.

Unknown said...

I would be frustrated with that boat never being able to take it out on the water ...

sribbler said...

valuable historic information..thanks for sharing

Janice Thomson said...

Fascinating read again Wil with superb photos to boot...and it looks so SUNNY and warm there...

Smart Mouth Broad said...

The colors in your photographs are so vivid! Beautiful!

Bradley Hsi said...

Very nice written history. I always admire the British colonial adventure. I visited Australia 15 years ago, I would also love to claim the territory for my own when I landed there.

Anonymous said...

Zal daar in elk geval warmer zijn dan hier nu, maar te warm moet het nu ook weer niet worden.

Groetjes

naturglede/Randi Lind said...

Realy interesting post you have today. Have a fun abc:)

bass said...

Hi Wil, am sorry but I had to make a little setting changes earlier coz somebody's hacking my blogger account. I think I have to transfer that blog to another url and blog title, but it will have same content. Am just afraid my friends will be lost for a while. But definitely you'll recognize it's me when you visit the blog in a different address.

:(

Rose said...

Fascinating! I always learn so much interesting information when I visit here. I always think of Captain Cook sailing the south Pacific, but didn't realize he was the one who landed in Australia.

bass said...

Wil, there was another added author whom I didn't add and didn't know. When I tried to check the profile, I couldn't see anything but blank pages.

Miss_Yves said...

How lucky you are to know two cultures !
I imagine the surprise of the sailors when they saw this strange animal(kangourou)!

Unknown said...

So fascinating : ). I just love looking at your header with your grandchildren. They are so cute. What a great Grandmother you are : ).

penny said...

What a grand history lesson with truly fabulous pictures today. I love the way you write;) Thank's for the journey!

Marja said...

Very interesting What a beautiful place. Have to go over the ditch one day to see it. Captain Cook was here as well
oh en ik ben ook van gelderland Wijchen om precies te zijn Bronckhorst is prachtig

Janie said...

Thanks for the interesting history on Cooktown and the photos that bring the present day community to life!

Dragonstar said...

That a very interesting post, and I really love the shapes in the first photo.

Thanks for your entry.

Tamara Jansen said...

I can't believe that I never thought of Australia as having PALM TREES! It just never crossed my mind. Looks like a beautiful country.

Unknown said...

Hi, visit the new me... :)

Glennis said...

Cooktown is a great place, there is so much history to explore, we very much enjoyed our holiday there last year. Nice to see it all again in your photos.

Femin Susan said...

Hi...
Nice shot....That is just amazing..so pretty!
Thanks for sharing .

Bradley Hsi said...

Thanks for remind me to read the fine print. You have a handson son-in-law and three most lovely grandchidren.

Louise said...

Terrific post! I LOVE the photos!!

And just in case you're interested, my most recent post answers the question you had on the previous post--about what I do. It's long, so don't feel obligated, but there are some fun pictures, too.

Anonymous said...

You always have the best pictures!

photowannabe said...

That's what I love about blogging. I learn so much. Great pictures and information.

Anonymous said...

Goed emorgen,

heb je op mijn blogje een link gegeven, hopelijk ben je ermee akkoord.

Groetjes

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful place. It actually reminds me a bit of Cedar Key, the island where I live.
I'm new to your blog and enjoying it very much.
Terri
http://www.islandwriter.net

Patty said...

Love the photos, looks so nice and warm. I'm wanting some warmth, it's freezing here again this morning, I think it's around 10 above right now if that warm. If and when it gets up to 30 or 35, we'll probably be running around without jackets. LOL

Anonymous said...

loved the pics :)

Barbara Martin said...

Wonderful photos and equally interesting historical information. Thank you, Wil, for sharing this with us.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Hi Reader Wil,

Cooktown is not flooded is it? Such nasty news in Australia, flood one end, and fire at the other. I hope your daughter isn't feeling too hot.

We feel the heat even though itis 27 degrees.

Is it tulips time yet?