Australian places named by James Cook

This is a list of Australian places named by James Cook. James Cook was the first explorer to chart most of the eastern Australian coast, one of the last major coastlines in the world unknown to Europeans at the time. Cook named many bays, capes and other geographic features, nearly all of which are still gazetted,[1] and most of which are still in use today, although in some places the spelling is slightly different. This is a list of the placenames he used in his first voyage listed from south to north as described on his 1773 map [2] and in his journals.

Name Date (1770) Reason for naming Coords Notes
Point Hicks 19 April Lieutenant Zachary Hickes, first to sight land 37°48′S 149°16′E / 37.800°S 149.267°E / -37.800; 149.267 spelled his name Hickes, Cook wrote it without the "e"
Ram Head 19 April Ramhead in Plymouth Sound 37°46′S 149°29′E / 37.767°S 149.483°E / -37.767; 149.483
Cape Howe 20 April Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe 37°30′S 149°58′E / 37.500°S 149.967°E / -37.500; 149.967
Cape Dromedary (Montague Island) 21 April A point running out from under Mount Dromedary. 36°17′S 150°08′E / 36.283°S 150.133°E / -36.283; 150.133 Cook mistook Montague Island for a headland.[3]
Mount Dromedary 21 April "pretty high mountain laying near the shore which on account of its figure I named Mount Dromedary" 36°17′51″S 150°01′00″E / 36.29750°S 150.01667°E / -36.29750; 150.01667 now called Mount Gulaga
Batemans Bay 21 April 35°42′S 150°11′E / 35.700°S 150.183°E / -35.700; 150.183
Point Upright 22 April "on account of its perpendicular Clifts" 35°37′S 150°19′E / 35.617°S 150.317°E / -35.617; 150.317
Pigeon House 22 April "a remarkable peaked hill laying inland the top of which look'd like a Pigeon house" 35°17′S 150°17′E / 35.283°S 150.283°E / -35.283; 150.283 Marked on chart as Pidgeon House
Cape St. George 23 April discovered on St George's Day 35°10′S 150°45′E / 35.167°S 150.750°E / -35.167; 150.750 now Jervis Bay Territory
Long Nose 25 April "on account of its Figure" 34°48′S 150°40′E / 34.800°S 150.667°E / -34.800; 150.667 now called Beecroft Peninsula (to the north of Jervis Bay)
Red Point 25 April red colour 34°29′S 150°55′E / 34.483°S 150.917°E / -34.483; 150.917
Point Solander 28 April Daniel Solander, botanist on board 34°00′S 151°14′E / 34.000°S 151.233°E / -34.000; 151.233 to the south of Botany Bay
Botany Bay 28 April – 6 May "The great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found in this place occasioned my giving it the Name of Botany Bay" 33°58′S 151°10′E / 33.967°S 151.167°E / -33.967; 151.167 originally Stingray Bay
Cape Banks 6 May Joseph Banks 33°59′S 151°15′E / 33.983°S 151.250°E / -33.983; 151.250 to the north of Botany Bay
Port Jackson 6 May George Jackson, a secretary of the Admiralty 33°50′S 151°16′E / 33.833°S 151.267°E / -33.833; 151.267
Broken Bay 7 May "broken land that appear'd to form a bay" 33°34′07″S 151°19′00″E / 33.56861°S 151.31667°E / -33.56861; 151.31667
Cape Three Points 7 May "high land which projected out in 3 bluff Points" 33°29′S 151°26′E / 33.483°S 151.433°E / -33.483; 151.433 between Copacabana and Avoca Beach
Point Stephens 11 May Sir Philip Stephens, Secretary to the Admiralty (1763–95) 32°44′S 152°12′E / 32.733°S 152.200°E / -32.733; 152.200 On the coast near Fingal Bay, New South Wales
Port Stephens 11 May Sir Philip Stephens, Secretary to the Admiralty 32°41′46″S 152°08′30″E / 32.69611°S 152.14167°E / -32.69611; 152.14167
Black Head 11 May 32°04′S 152°32′E / 32.067°S 152.533°E / -32.067; 152.533 SE of Tinonee
Cape Hawke 11 May Sir Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke, First Lord of the Admiralty 32°12′S 152°34′E / 32.200°S 152.567°E / -32.200; 152.567
Three Brothers 12 May "3 remarkable large high hills lying Contigious to each other... bore some resemblance to each other" 31°39′52″S 152°46′26″E / 31.66444°S 152.77389°E / -31.66444; 152.77389 called separately South Brother (31°44′37″S 152°40′15″E / 31.74361°S 152.67083°E / -31.74361; 152.67083 ), Middle Brother and North Brother
Smoakey Cape 13 May "fires that Caused a great Quantity of smoke" on the cape 30°54′S 153°06′E / 30.900°S 153.100°E / -30.900; 153.100
Solitary Isles 15 May 29°55′S 153°23′E / 29.917°S 153.383°E / -29.917; 153.383
Cape Byron 15 May John Byron 28°37′58″S 153°38′20″E / 28.63278°S 153.63889°E / -28.63278; 153.63889 Easternmost point of Australia
Mount Warning 16 May breakers found within sight 28°23′50″S 153°16′15″E / 28.39722°S 153.27083°E / -28.39722; 153.27083
Point Danger 16 May Point off which shoals lie 28°10′S 153°33′E / 28.167°S 153.550°E / -28.167; 153.550 Cook's Point Danger was Fingal Head – 2n Miles South of the present-day Point Danger on the Qld–NSW border
Point Lookout 17 May 27°26′S 153°33′E / 27.433°S 153.550°E / -27.433; 153.550 North-eastern point of North Stradbroke Island
Morton Bay 17 May Robert Hinch, 14th Earl of Morton, was President of the Royal Society 27°15′S 153°15′E / 27.250°S 153.250°E / -27.250; 153.250 Moreton was a later misspelling of Morton. What Cook named Morton Bay comprised the Pacific Ocean side of what is now called Moreton Island. The name Moreton Bay is now applied to larger expanse of water on the inland side of Moreton and Stradbroke Islands, comprising the mouth of the Brisbane River.
Cape Morton 17 May James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton 27°01′S 153°28′E / 27.017°S 153.467°E / -27.017; 153.467 Northern end of Moreton Island
Glasshouse Bay 17 May 27°04′S 153°17′E / 27.067°S 153.283°E / -27.067; 153.283 Cook did not realise it was part of Moreton Bay; between Moreton Island and Bribie Island
The Glass Houses 17 May hills resemble glass houses 26°55′S 152°56′E / 26.917°S 152.933°E / -26.917; 152.933 Now called The Glass House Mountains
Double Island Point 18 May "on account of its figure... the point itself is of such an unequal Height that it looks like 2 Small Islands laying under the land" 25°55′57″S 153°11′12″E / 25.93250°S 153.18667°E / -25.93250; 153.18667
Wide Bay 18 May large open bay 25°54′S 153°08′E / 25.900°S 153.133°E / -25.900; 153.133 Wide Bay–Burnett is used as the region name for the larger surrounding area today. Rainbow Beach is on the bay.
Indian Head 19 May "a number of the Natives were Assembled" there 25°00′S 153°22′E / 25.000°S 153.367°E / -25.000; 153.367 Eastern point of Fraser Island
Sandy Cape 20 May sand 24°41′52″S 153°15′21″E / 24.69778°S 153.25583°E / -24.69778; 153.25583 Northern point of Fraser Island
Break Sea Spit 21 May "now we had smooth water, whereas upon the whole Coast to the Southward of it we had always a high Sea or swell from the South-East." 24°25′S 153°13′E / 24.417°S 153.217°E / -24.417; 153.217 shoal projecting north from the north tip of Fraser Island
Herveys Bay 21 May Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol 25°17′7″S 152°52′22″E / 25.28528°S 152.87278°E / -25.28528; 152.87278
South Head 23 May South head of Bustard Bay 24°08′54″S 151°53′09″E / 24.14833°S 151.88583°E / -24.14833; 151.88583 Now known as Round Hill Head. Village of 1770 located there, Cook's first landing in Queensland and second in Australia.
Bustard Bay 23 May bustard (bird) 24°06′S 151°49′E / 24.100°S 151.817°E / -24.100; 151.817
North Head 23 May North head of Bustard Bay 24°01′S 151°46′E / 24.017°S 151.767°E / -24.017; 151.767 Now known as Bustard Head
Cape Capricorn 25 May Tropic of Capricorn 23°28′S 151°13′E / 23.467°S 151.217°E / -23.467; 151.217 NE point of Curtis Island
Keppel Isles 26 May Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel 23°10′30″S 150°57′40″E / 23.17500°S 150.96111°E / -23.17500; 150.96111 Great Keppel Island largest of the group
Keppel Bay 27 May Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel 23°23′S 150°53′E / 23.383°S 150.883°E / -23.383; 150.883
Cape Manyfold 27 May "from the Number of high Hills over it" 22°41′S 150°50′E / 22.683°S 150.833°E / -22.683; 150.833
The Two Brothers 28 May 22°42′S 150°59′E / 22.700°S 150.983°E / -22.700; 150.983
Island Head 28 May 22°20′S 150°39′E / 22.333°S 150.650°E / -22.333; 150.650
Cape Townshend 28 May Charles Townshend, Lord of the Admiralty 1765-1770[4] 22°12′S 150°29′E / 22.200°S 150.483°E / -22.200; 150.483 northern tip of Townshend Island
Shoal Water Bay 28 May Shoal water 22°22′S 150°22′E / 22.367°S 150.367°E / -22.367; 150.367
Northumberland Isles 28 May 21°40′S 150°10′E / 21.667°S 150.167°E / -21.667; 150.167
Thirsty Sound 30 May "by reason we could find no fresh Water" 22°10′S 149°58′E / 22.167°S 149.967°E / -22.167; 149.967
Bay of Inlets 1 June "the Number of Inlets, Creeks, etc., in it." 22°19′S 149°50′E / 22.317°S 149.833°E / -22.317; 149.833 Named a 100 km region of coastline from Cape Palmerston (south of Mackay) to Cape Townshend (name no longer in use)
Long Isle 1 June 22°07′S 149°54′E / 22.117°S 149.900°E / -22.117; 149.900
Broad Sound 1 June 22°10′S 149°45′E / 22.167°S 149.750°E / -22.167; 149.750
Cape Palmerston 1 June Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, Lord of the Admiralty, 1766–78 21°01′S 149°29′E / 21.017°S 149.483°E / -21.017; 149.483 SE of Carmila
Slade Point 2 June 21°03′S 149°13′E / 21.050°S 149.217°E / -21.050; 149.217
Cape Hillsborough 2 June Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire (the Earl of Hillsborough); First Secretary of State for the Colonies, and President of the Board of Trade 20°54′S 149°02′E / 20.900°S 149.033°E / -20.900; 149.033 30 km NNW of Mackay
Repulse Bay 3 June 20°33′S 148°45′E / 20.550°S 148.750°E / -20.550; 148.750
Cape Conway 3 June General Henry Seymour Conway, Secretary of State 1765–68 20°31′S 148°54′E / 20.517°S 148.900°E / -20.517; 148.900
Whitsundays Passage 4 June discovered on Whitsunday 20°17′S 148°52′E / 20.283°S 148.867°E / -20.283; 148.867 between Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Island and the mainland
Cumberland Isles 4 June Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, 20°34′S 149°08′E / 20.567°S 149.133°E / -20.567; 149.133 Originally the name for what are now called the Whitsunday Islands; Cook only called the passage Whitsundays.
Cape Gloucester 4 June Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh 20°00′55″S 148°27′18″E / 20.01528°S 148.45500°E / -20.01528; 148.45500 Actually an island
Holburn Isle 4 June Admiral Francis Holburne 19°43′S 148°21′E / 19.717°S 148.350°E / -19.717; 148.350
Edgecumbe Bay 4 June Captain George Edgcumbe, 1st Earl of Mount Edgcumbe commanded the Lancaster in the fleet in North America in 1758 in which Cook served. 20°06′S 148°23′E / 20.100°S 148.383°E / -20.100; 148.383
Mount Upstart 5 June "because being surrounded with low land it starts or rises up singley at the first making of it" 19°44′S 147°48′E / 19.733°S 147.800°E / -19.733; 147.800
Cape Bowling Green 5 June 19°18′S 147°24′E / 19.300°S 147.400°E / -19.300; 147.400
Cape Cleveland 6 June either in honour of a John Clevland the Secretary to the Admiralty around that time, or after Cleveland, England where he was born.[5] 19°10′S 147°00′E / 19.167°S 147.000°E / -19.167; 147.000 Cook spelled the name with an "e", adding to the confusion
Cleveland Bay 6 June 19°13′S 146°55′E / 19.217°S 146.917°E / -19.217; 146.917
Magnetical Island 6 June "the Compass did not traverse well when near it" 19°08′S 146°50′E / 19.133°S 146.833°E / -19.133; 146.833 Now called Magnetic Island
Palm Isles 6 June 18°44′S 146°35′E / 18.733°S 146.583°E / -18.733; 146.583
Halifax Bay 8 June George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax was Secretary of State 1763–65 18°50′S 146°30′E / 18.833°S 146.500°E / -18.833; 146.500
Point Hillock 8 June 18°25′S 146°21′E / 18.417°S 146.350°E / -18.417; 146.350 on Hinchinbrook Island
Cape Sandwich 8 June John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich 18°14′S 146°17′E / 18.233°S 146.283°E / -18.233; 146.283 on Hinchinbrook Island
Family Islands 8 June 18°01′S 146°10′E / 18.017°S 146.167°E / -18.017; 146.167
Dunk Island 8 June George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax 17°56′48″S 146°09′22″E / 17.94667°S 146.15611°E / -17.94667; 146.15611
Rockingham Bay 8 June Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham 18°08′S 146°04′E / 18.133°S 146.067°E / -18.133; 146.067
Double Point 8 June 17°40′S 146°09′E / 17.667°S 146.150°E / -17.667; 146.150
Frankland Islands 9 June 17°09′49″S 146°00′42″E / 17.16361°S 146.01167°E / -17.16361; 146.01167
Cape Grafton 9 June Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton was Prime Minister when Cook sailed 16°51′55″S 145°55′00″E / 16.86528°S 145.91667°E / -16.86528; 145.91667
Fitzroy Island 9 June 16°56′S 146°00′E / 16.933°S 146.000°E / -16.933; 146.000
Green Isle 10 June "a Low green woody Island" 16°45′S 145°58′E / 16.750°S 145.967°E / -16.750; 145.967
Trinity Bay 10 June discovered on Trinity Sunday 16°54′S 145°47′E / 16.900°S 145.783°E / -16.900; 145.783
Cape Tribulation 10 June "because here began all our Troubles" 16°04′S 145°28′E / 16.067°S 145.467°E / -16.067; 145.467
Hope Island 13 June "we were always in hopes of being able to reach these Islands" 15°43′S 145°27′E / 15.717°S 145.450°E / -15.717; 145.450
Weary Bay 13 June 15°54′S 145°22′E / 15.900°S 145.367°E / -15.900; 145.367
Endeavour River 14 June – 4 August HM Bark Endeavour 15°27′30″S 145°14′00″E / 15.45833°S 145.23333°E / -15.45833; 145.23333 Ship beached while repairs conducted, near modern-day Cooktown
Cape Bedford 4 August Probably after John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, who had been First Lord of the Admiralty, 1744–47 15°13′S 145°20′E / 15.217°S 145.333°E / -15.217; 145.333
Cape Flattery 10 August "We now judged ourselves to be clear of all Danger, having, as we thought, a Clear, open Sea before us; but this we soon found otherwise" 14°56′S 145°21′E / 14.933°S 145.350°E / -14.933; 145.350
Islands of Direction 10 August 14°44′S 145°30′E / 14.733°S 145.500°E / -14.733; 145.500 South Direction Island and North Direction Island
Point Lookout 11 August 14°49′S 145°13′E / 14.817°S 145.217°E / -14.817; 145.217 Not to be confused with the Point Lookout which Cook had earlier so named, being the north-eastern point of North Stradbroke Island.
Lizard Island 12 August "only land Animals we saw here were Lizards, and these seem'd to be pretty Plenty" 14°40′S 145°27′E / 14.667°S 145.450°E / -14.667; 145.450 Lizard Island still enjoys a substantial population of huge monitor lizards.
Eagle Island 12 August "We found on this Island a pretty number of Birds, the most of them sea Fowl, except Eagles; 2 of the Latter we shott and some of the others" 14°41′S 145°22′E / 14.683°S 145.367°E / -14.683; 145.367
Providential Channel 17 August providence 12°36′S 143°49′E / 12.600°S 143.817°E / -12.600; 143.817
Cape Weymouth 17 August Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, Viscount Weymouth was one of the Secretaries of State when the Endeavour sailed 12°36′S 143°26′E / 12.600°S 143.433°E / -12.600; 143.433
Weymouth Bay 17 August Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath 12°29′S 143°20′E / 12.483°S 143.333°E / -12.483; 143.333
Forbes Islands 19 August Admiral John Forbes was a Commissioner of Longitude in 1768, and had been a Lord of the Admiralty 1756–63 12°17′S 143°24′E / 12.283°S 143.400°E / -12.283; 143.400
Bolt Head 19 August 12°15′S 143°06′E / 12.250°S 143.100°E / -12.250; 143.100
Sir Charles Hardy's Isles 18 August 11°55′S 143°28′E / 11.917°S 143.467°E / -11.917; 143.467
Temple Bay 19 August Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple, brother of George Grenville, was First Lord of the Admiralty in 1756 12°18′S 143°08′E / 12.300°S 143.133°E / -12.300; 143.133
Cockburn Islands 19 August Admiral George Cockburn was a Commissioner of Longitude and Comptroller of the Navy when Cook left England. 11°51′S 143°18′E / 11.850°S 143.300°E / -11.850; 143.300
Cape Grenville 19 August George Grenville 11°58′S 143°15′E / 11.967°S 143.250°E / -11.967; 143.250
Shelburne Bay 20 August 11°49′S 142°58′E / 11.817°S 142.967°E / -11.817; 142.967
Orfordness 20 August 11°17′S 142°49′E / 11.283°S 142.817°E / -11.283; 142.817
New Castle Bay 21 August 10°53′S 142°36′E / 10.883°S 142.600°E / -10.883; 142.600
York Cape 21 August Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany 10°41′S 142°31′E / 10.683°S 142.517°E / -10.683; 142.517 Although Cook applied the name York Cape only to the northern tip, the name Cape York Peninsula is now applied to the entire promontory between the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Coral Sea (Pacific Ocean).
York Isles 21 August Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany 10°41′S 142°31′E / 10.683°S 142.517°E / -10.683; 142.517
Possession Island 22 August "in the Name of His Majesty King George the Third took possession of the whole Eastern coast from the above Latitude [38°S] down to this place by the Name of New Wales1" 10°43′36″S 142°23′49″E / 10.72667°S 142.39694°E / -10.72667; 142.39694 1"The Admiralty copy, as well as that belonging to Her Majesty, calls it New South Wales."
Prince of Wales's Isles 22 August George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales 10°41′02″S 142°11′06″E / 10.68389°S 142.18500°E / -10.68389; 142.18500
Cape Cornwall 22 August 10°46′S 142°11′E / 10.767°S 142.183°E / -10.767; 142.183 SW point of Prince of Wales Island
Wallis Isles 23 August probably after Captain Samuel Wallis, who made a voyage across the Pacific in the Dolphin in 1767, and discovered Tahiti 10°52′S 141°57′E / 10.867°S 141.950°E / -10.867; 141.950
Endeavours Streights 23 August HMS Endeavour 10°49′S 142°06′E / 10.817°S 142.100°E / -10.817; 142.100
Booby Island 23 August "mostly a barren rock frequented by Birds, such as Boobies" 10°36′S 141°54′E / 10.600°S 141.900°E / -10.600; 141.900

References

  1. ↑ Geoscience Australia, place name search
  2. ↑ A Chart of New South Wales, or the east coast of New Holland. Cook, James, 1728–1779
  3. ↑ Flinders, Matthew (1814), A Voyage to Terra Australis, London: G. and W. Nicol, entry for 3 February 1798
  4. ↑ Beaglehole, J.C., ed. (1968). The Journals of Captain James Cook on His Voyages of Discovery, vol. I:The Voyage of the Endeavour 1768–1771. Cambridge University Press. p. 329. OCLC 223185477.
  5. ↑ "Gazetteer". pages.quicksilver.net.nz. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
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