Image: "Capt. Cook's Cottage" Obelisk - geograph.org.uk - 61648

Description: "Capt. Cook's Cottage" Obelisk. The Obelisk was erected on the spot where the cottage built by Capt. James Cook's father in 1755. The cottage was sold to the Victoria state government in Australia in 1933 for £800, dismantled stone by stone and re-erected in Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne, Australia. The transaction was shrouded in controversy as it is doubtful if Capt. Cook ever stayed the night in it for in 1755 James Cook would have been 27 and had just joined the British Navy. In the opinion of many in Australia they were sold a pup. However Australia had the last laugh when due to the fact that Great Ayton has a Middlesbrough postal address, the Australians signed the land and the obelisk were given to Middlesbrough Borough Council who until very recently sent workman the eight miles into North Yorkshire to cut the grass and tidy the site. I believe the matter has now been resolved. Further reading: http://www.nowandthenmag.co.uk/november1998/8.htm
Title: "Capt. Cook's Cottage" Obelisk - geograph.org.uk - 61648
Credit: From geograph.org.uk
Author: Mick Garratt
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
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