The first attempted landing on Australian soil
Captain James Cook: | Cook & the Appin Massacre 1816 | Disobeyance of orders 1770 | Endeavour at Woonona 28 April 1770 | Frontier Wars: Cook, Phillip & Macquarie | HM Bark Endeavour replica at sea, circa 2001. On the afternoon of Saturday, 28 April 1770, a small, two-masted wooden boat (yawl), was hoisted out from the former Whitby collier His Majesty's Bark Endeavour , then under the command of Lieutenant James Cook, Royal Navy. At the time the Endeavour was anchored less than 2 miles off the Illawarra coast near present day Collins Point, Woonona, also known as Collins Rock. The yawl headed towards the shore, with its crew hoping to make contact there with the local Aboriginal people and collect specimens of flora and fauna. On board was Cook, scientists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, the Polynesian guide Tupia (Tupaia), and three others. Due to the rough surf along the coast that day, the yawl was not able to land. After observing the shoreline