April 29 Marks Anniversary of Captain Cook Landing in Botany Bay

Two hundred thirty-nine years ago, on April 29, 1770, English explorer Captain James Cook arrived on the Endeavour at Australia's Botany Bay.

This first landing on Australian soil by the English explorer led to his claiming Australia for the English Crown, although the first English settlement at Sydney Cove, in what is now The Rocks district, was to come 18 years later.

Captain Cook's landing place is now part of Botany Bay National Park which is not only a historical site but a place for seaside picnics and many leisure activities as well.

The Endeavour is usually docked at the Australian National Maritime Museum at Sydney's Darling Harbour.

• The New HMB Endeavour
• Botany Bay National Park
• Australian National Maritime Museum
• The Rocks: Birthplacle of Australia
• Walk into History at The Rocks

Photo: Replica of Captain Cook's Endeavour, courtesy Australian National Maritime Museum