Currency Exchange
Captain Cook, East Coast of Australia. Limited Edition map (1773).

Captain Cook, East Coast of Australia. Limited Edition map (1773).

by Cook, Captain James

New South Wales, East Coast of New Holland Discovered and Explored by Lieutenant J. Cook Commander of His Majesty’s Bark Endeavour in 1770. 

Numbered Limited Edition (368 of 750) reproduced from original copperplate-engraved map c1773 by Benard, recording James Cook’s navigational charting of the east coast of the "great south land" when he discovered Australia during his first voyage between 1768 and 1771 - and claimed the land for Britain, naming it New South Wales.

From their discoveries along the north and west coasts of New Holland (as they named Australia), the Dutch declared the country to be barren. Cook navigated the whole of Australia’s fertile east coast, except for the sections where he had difficulty negotiating the Great Barrier Reef (which he referred to as 'Labrynth') and landed in the Endeavour River (named by him) to repair his ship. After their return to Britain, Joseph Banks, the wealthy naturalilst who accompanied the voyage recommended Botany Bay as a suitable site for settlement. The First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay eighteen years later, but settled just north at Port Jackson (in Sydney Harbour).

This chart, undoubtedly the most important relating to the settlement of Australia, shows the extraordinary navigational skill and superb cartography of James Cook who was then still only a Lieutenant. As a testament to Cook’s meticulous attention to detail, Cook’s charts were used for over 100 years to navigate along the east coast of Australia.

Approximate Size: 855 x 425mm (33.5/8 x 16.3/4 inches), Image Size: 795 x 365mm (31.1/4 x 14.3/8 inches)

Stock Number: HE322Price: $52.00

Quantity