Description:
Monument built of granite blocks, quarried at Point Hicks, in the form of an obelisk, with plaques fitted.
History:
Point Hicks was named by Cook, but after a mix up over his positioning of the Point, it remained nameless until 1852 when it was named Cape Everard, and it was then renamed Point Hicks in 1969.
In 1924, historians K.R. Cramp, honorary secretary of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Professor E Scott, and Professor G.A. Wood of Sydney University, persuaded the Commonwealth Government to erect a plaque at today’s Point Hicks. The plaque, asserting that this was the point Cook named, is still there.
On 20th April 1990 a plaque, the gift of the Captain Cook Study Unit, Australian Branch, was given to the people of Australia for the monument. The plaque was unveiled by Robert Martin, CCSU-A President, and lists the ship’s company of Endeavour.
This monument was copied for the site of Cook’s Cottage at Great Ayton in Yorkshire, England. The granite blocks were quarried at Cape Everard and shipped to England where they were used to build an obelisk at the site of Cook’s Cottage. (see file “Great Ayton, Yorkshire, site of Cook’s Cottage”.
Inscription:
The plaque on the landward side of the obelisk:
LIEUTENANT JAMES COOK R.N.
OF THE ENDEAVOUR
FIRST SIGHTED AUSTRALIA NEAR THIS POINT
WHICH HE NAMED
POINT HICKS
AFTER LIEUTENANT ZACHARY HICKS
WHO FIRST SAW THE LAND
APRIL 19th (SHIP’S LOG DATE
APRIL 20th (CALENDAR DATE)
1770
The plaque lists the entire ship’s company of the Endeavour:
SHIPS COMPANY OF
HM BARK ENDEAVOUR APRIL 20TH 1770
|
J. COOK 1ST LT
|
R. HUGHES
|
M. PEREIRA
|
A WOODWORTH
|
|
Z. HICKS 2ND LT
|
R. HUTCHINS
|
W. PERRY
|
MARINES
|
|
J. GORE 3rd LT
|
H. JEFFS
|
R. PICKERSGILL
|
J. BOWLES
|
|
|
I. JOHNSON
|
A. PONTO
|
T. DUNSTER
|
|
R. ANDERSON
|
S. JONES
|
J. RAMSAY
|
J. EDGCUMBE
|
|
J. BOOTIE
|
T. JONES
|
J. RAVENHILL
|
S. GIBSON
|
|
J. CHARLTON
|
T. JONES
|
J. READING
|
W. JUDGE
|
|
J. CHILDS
|
B. JORDAN
|
T. REARDEN
|
H. PAUL
|
|
C. CLERKE
|
T. JORDAN
|
D. ROBERTS
|
D. PRESTON
|
|
C. COLEMAN
|
T. KNIGHT
|
J. SATTERLEY
|
T. ROSSITER
|
|
W. COLLETT
|
M. LITTLEBOY
|
P. SAUNDERS
|
J. TRUSLOVE
|
|
J. COOK
|
R. LITTLEBOY
|
T. SIMMONDS
|
C. WEBB
|
|
N. COOK
|
J. MAGRA
|
A. SIMPSON
|
W. WILSHIRE
|
|
M. COX
|
I. MANLEY
|
I. SMITH
|
CIVILIANS
|
|
W. DAWSON
|
T. MATTHEWS
|
R. STAINSBY
|
J. BANKS
|
|
J. DOZEY
|
R. MOLYNEUX
|
H. STEPHENS
|
P. BRISCOE
|
|
S. EVANS
|
J. MONKHOUSE
|
F. SUTHERLAND
|
C. GREEN
|
|
S. FORWOOD
|
W. MONKHOUSE
|
R. TAYLOR
|
S. PARKINSON
|
|
J. GATHREY
|
S. MOODY
|
E. TERRELL
|
J. REYNOLDS
|
|
J. GOODJOHN
|
N. MOREY
|
J. THOMPSON
|
J. ROBERTS
|
|
J. GRAY
|
J. NICHOLSON
|
J. THURMAN
|
D. SOLANDER
|
|
F. HAITE
|
G. NOWELL
|
J. TUNLEY
|
H. SPORING
|
|
T. HARDMAN
|
R. ORTON
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F. WILKINSON
|
N. YOUNG
|
|
W. HARVEY
|
I. PARKER
|
C. WILLIAMS
|
TARHETO
|
|
W. HOWSON
|
W. PECKOVER
|
A. WOLFE
|
TUPIA
|
GPS Coordinates: -37.800000, 149.283333
References:
Cook’s Log, page 26, vol. 38, no. 2 (2015)
Endeavour Lines, page 12, no. 15 (Apr 1990)
Endeavour Lines, page 7, no. 16 (Feb 1991)
Endeavour Lines, page 13, no. 34 (Apr 2000)
Endeavour Lines, page 3, no. 53 (Oct 2009)
Website: https://www.bushtrackerownersgroup.asn.au/places/54448/vic/point-hicks