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We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander custodians of the land and sea throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please be aware this website includes images and names of deceased people. 

Reflecting on

Australia's history

 

The year is 1770

A man stands on the coast, gazing out to sea.

He watches a ship sail over the horizon. Shortly, an encounter between two peoples will take place. Neither this man nor those on the ship could imagine the impact their meeting will have.

This is the Endeavour story.

Endeavour 250 logo in white with a red background

About the anniversary

Marking 250 years

2020 marked the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour’s voyage along the east coast of Australia – part of James Cook’s first Pacific voyage.

Going forward, Endeavour 250 continues to encourage Australians to explore the Endeavour voyage and its legacy.

Learn more About the program

Events and activities

What's on

A range of events and activities will continue to mark the anniversary across the country.

See all Online events and activities

The Florilegium and Parliament House

Online
person viewing exhibition on the mobile phone
Free
Online

Australian Parliament House and its grounds are filled with artistic expressions of Australia’s history, culture and landscape.

This online experience gives you a unique opportunity to explore in fine detail the exquisite artworks associated with Sir Joseph Banks’ Florilegium, an extraordinary documentation of the plant life of the east coast of Australia, collected by Banks on the Endeavour’s Pacific voyage (1768 to 1771). 

Artworks include the marquetry panels in the Parliament House Marble Foyer and the Florilegium itself, held in the Parliament House Art Collection. The high-resolution imagery will let you explore the works as never before, while highlighting relationships between the Florilegium, Parliament House and original specimens collected by Banks along the east coast of Australia.

Virtual Endeavour

Online
screenshot of the virtual Endeavour tour offered by the Australian National Maritime Museum
Free
Online

Take a virtual tour of replica ship, HMB Endeavour—the vessel James Cook sailed on his first Pacific voyage. Explore each deck of the ship and learn what life was like on-board.

Under Southern Skies

Exhibition
Monoprint on paper of the constellation and a ship, predominately dark colours
Free
2 Murray Street Sydney, 2000
–

Visit the new gallery that explores the story of navigation and voyaging around Australia. From the observation of the transit of Venus, to the importance of the night sky in Torres Strait Islander navigation and voyaging – planets and stars unite the long history of all navigators around Australia.

 

Image: Constellation by Gail Mabo, 2014. © Gail Mabo / Licensed by Copyright Agency, 2019 ANMM Collection 00054564

Undiscovered: Photographic Works by Michael Cook

Online
image of an Indigenous Australian running across a beach holding a wheelbarrow with an echidna in it
Free
Online

See this series of works that questions who really ‘discovered’ Australia while making reference to what was always here, what has been introduced and the impact it had on who was already here.

 

Image: Undiscovered #9. © Michael Cook, ANMM Collection 00054256, reproduced courtesy of the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane and licenced for use by the Museum

When the Endeavour arrived in 1770, a great many People already lived here. They made up different nations, with sophisticated knowledge systems.

Understand the story from all perspectives through online activities, educational resources and exploring items from our collecting institutions.
News and Media

Connect with history

The Whales and Rock Weave, Theresa Ardler and Julie Squires, Kamay Botany Bay 2020. Source: R Newton, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Learn more
Shared histories

Explore and learn

A drawing of a kangaroo outside on some rocks with its body facing right, and head facing left
Learn more About Shared histories

Explore and learn

Teacher resources

Explore learning resources on the voyage of the Endeavour and its impact. 

Foundation to Year 2 resources

On board the Endeavour - Explore what it was like to live in the cramped below-deck quarters, including what a typical daily diet was for different

Year 3 to 4 resources

First contact - Find out more about what happened during first contact between the Endeavour crew and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Austral

Year 5 to 6 resources

From the shore - Explore the experiences and lifestyles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples prior to and at the time of the arriva

Year 7 to 8 resources

A picture tells a thousand words - Analyse and compare images of Cook over time including artworks of First Australians.

Year 9 to 10 resources

Hints and secret instructions - Examining the motives, actions and impact of Cook's decision to 'take possession' of Australia.

COVID-19 update

Navigating difficult waters

Some of the Endeavour 250 events and activities planned to mark the anniversary have been cancelled or postponed in response to official medical advice on coronavirus (COVID-19).

Where possible, online material is being offered in place of activities – to provide an opportunity for all Australians to reflect on our past, get a greater insight into the experiences of Indigenous Australians, James Cook and the Endeavour and all of the factors that have shaped our modern, diverse and vibrant nation.

Exploring vast oceans and uncharted lands, James Cook was known for his seamanship, leadership and cartographic skills

Get involved

1
Host an event or activity
2
Explore exhibitions, online activities and other events
3
Learn about the voyage, its legacy and our shared histories
4
Teach the next generation about our history

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please be aware this website includes images and names of deceased people.
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are oral traditions that have been recorded over time. There may be variations of particular words.
As with all languages, spellings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages have changed over time. Accordingly, some of the historical records included in this website will contain spellings not used today.

 

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