Description:
Bronze Statue, in People’s Park on West Cliff, in the Crescent Gardens, overlooking the harbour.
The Statue stands on a plinth, at the front is a carving of Cook’s posthumous coat of arms, and at the back of which is a carving of Cook’s ship Resolution, with the word ‘Resolution’ beneath.
History:
Presented to the town of Whitby by the Hon Sir Gervase Becket, M.P. of Kirkdale Manor, and unveiled on 2nd October 1912.
The sculptor was John Tweed. The figure of Cook is 7 feet 6 inches high and made of bronze, on a freestone pedestal.
During the 2nd World War the area was used as a military fort, the statue was in store, and the plinth, which had been damaged by the military was restored. The statue was replaced on 16th August 1947.
Copies of it also erected in Waimea, Kaua’I’, and in Victoria, British Columbia.
Admiral Lord Charles Beresford unveiled the statue on 2.10.1912.
1970, 20th April, a plaque was place on the statue, presented from the people of Australia to commemorate the bi-centenary of the discovery of the East coast of Australia by Cook.
1984, 2nd April, a plaque honouring James Cook was unveiled on Whitby’s Cook Statue by the High Commissioner of New Zealand for Britain. William Young, on behalf of his country’s government.
The plaque commemorating the men who built the Whitby Ships was stolen, but then returned in March 2007, but then was replaced later the same year, and firmly bonded and bolted down.
Inscriptions:
“For the lasting Memory of a great Yorkshire seaman this bronze has been cast, and is left in the keeping of Whitby; the birthplace of those good ships that bore him on his enterprises, brought him to glory, and left him to rest.”
(a plaque)
THIS PLAQUE IS TO COMMEMORATE THE MEN WHO BUILT
THE WHITBY SHIPS
‘ENDEAVOUR’, ‘RESOLUTION’, ‘ADVENTURE’, ‘DISCOVERY’
USED BY
CAPT. JAMES COOK R.N., F.R.S.
AND ALSO
THE MEN WHO SAILED WITH HIM
ON THE GREATEST VOYAGES OF EXPLORATION OF ALL TIME
1768-1771. 1772-1775. 1776-1778
UNVEILED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE
HIGH COMMISSIONERS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
ON 26 AUG 1968
THE BICENTENARY OF HIS FIRST VOYAGE.
“TO STRIVE, TO SEEK, TO FIND AND NOT TO YIELD”
(also a plaque from the people of Australia)
THIS PLAQUE
WAS PRESENTED BY THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA
TO THE WHITBY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
TO COMMEMORATE THE BI-CENTENARY OF THE DISCOVERY
OF THE EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA BY
LIEUTENANT JAMES COOK, R.N.
FROM THIS DISCOVERY EMERGED A NATION
20th APRIL . 22nd AUGUST 1770
UNVEILED BY
HIS EXCELLENCY THE HIGH COMMISIONER FOR AUSTRALIA
THE HON. SIR ALEXANDER DOWNER, K.B.E.
20th APRIL 1970
(also a plaque from the people of New Zealand, the plaque bears a quotation from the writings of David Samwell, surgeon’s mate on the Third Voyage.)
THIS PLAQUE WAS PRESENTED BY THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND IN TRIBUTE
TO THE GREAT NAVIGATOR CAPTAIN JAMES COOK RN FRS AND THE MEN WHO
SAILED WITH HIM ON HIS VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY.
“IN EVERY SITUATION HE STOOD UNRIVALLED AND ALONG
ON HIM ALL EYES WERE TURNED”
UNVEILED BY THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR NEW ZEALAND
THE HON W.L. YOUNG 2nd APRIL 1984
OS Grid Reference: NZ 897 116
References:
Whitby Gazette, Friday 1st November 1912.
Hull Daily Mail, Thursday 3rd October 1912.
Yorkshire Evening Post, Wednesday 16th October 1946.
Yorkshire Evening Post, Saturday 16th August 1947.
Cook’s Log, page 288, vol.7, no.3, (1984).
Cook’s Log, page 1172, vol 18, no 3 (1995)
Cook’s Log, page 1390, vol 20, no 2 (1997)
Cook's Log, page 31, vol. 31, no. 1 (2008)
Cook's Log, page 17, vol. 35, no. 1 (2012)
Cook’s Log, page 48, vol 39, no 1 (2016)
Image gallery (click to enlarge)