Daniel Gordon, Endeavour Sailing into Cooktown, 2019, acrylic paint on driftwood, 41 x 8 x 12 cm. National Museum of Australia.
The story of HMB Endeavour’s 1770 voyage lies at the core of the Australian nation. This exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of the journey up the east coast of Australia.
James Cook is celebrated as a peerless seaman and a remarkable captain. His meticulous maps of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, and the botanical work of Joseph Banks and others aboard the ship, reshaped understandings of the world.
But the land Cook charted — strange and ‘new’ to European eyes — was an ancient continent, home to First Peoples whose history stretches back more than 65,000 years. Until now, their voices have been missing from the Endeavour story.
SOURCE: National Museum of Australia.