James Cook Collection: Australian Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
James Cook Collection

H000104- Feather Cape
Held by	The Australian Museum
Location	Sydney, New South Wales Australia
Provenance
Origin	Greater Pacific
Source	Captain James Cook
Collected	c.1768- c.1780
Website	Official website: http://collections.australianmuseum.net.au/amweb/pages/am/NarrativeDisplay.php?irn=35&QueryPage=./NarrativeQuery.php
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The Australian Museum has a special collection called the Cook Collection. It was given to the museum in 1894 by the Government of New South Wales. This collection includes 115 amazing items. These items were gathered during Captain Cook's three big trips across the Pacific Ocean. These voyages happened between 1768 and 1780.

Many of these items are ethnographic artifacts. This means they are objects made and used by different cultures. They were collected when Pacific Islanders first met Europeans. In 1935, most of the documents and other related items were moved to the Mitchell Library. This library is part of the State Library of New South Wales.

The collection's history shows that the objects stayed with Captain Cook's wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Cook, and her family until 1886. That year, Mr. John Mackrell, a relative of Elizabeth Cook, helped display the collection. It was shown at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London. In 1887, the New South Wales Government bought these items. They also bought items from other relatives. The collection then stayed with the government until 1894. Finally, it was given to the Australian Museum.

Who Was James Cook?

Statue of Captain James Cook at Admiralty Arch, London

James Cook (born November 7, 1728 – died February 14, 1779) was a famous British explorer. He was also a navigator and mapmaker. He became a captain in the Royal Navy. Before his big Pacific trips, Cook made detailed maps of Newfoundland.

Cook joined the British merchant navy as a teenager. Then, in 1755, he joined the Royal Navy. He fought in the Seven Years' War. He also mapped the entrance to the Saint Lawrence River during the siege of Quebec. This work caught the eye of the Admiralty and Royal Society. Because of this, he was chosen in 1768 to command HM Bark Endeavour. This was the first of his three voyages to the Pacific.

On his three voyages, Cook sailed thousands of miles. He explored many unknown parts of the world. He mapped lands from New Zealand to Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. His maps were very detailed and better than any before. As he traveled, he named places and drew coastlines on European maps for the first time. He was known for his great seamanship, mapping skills, bravery, and leadership.

Cook died in Hawaii in 1779 during his third voyage. His death happened during a fight with Hawaiians. He left behind a huge amount of scientific and geographic knowledge. This knowledge helped explorers for many years. Many memorials around the world honor him. However, his role in opening parts of the Pacific to European settlement has been a topic of discussion.

Where Did the Collection Come From?

Hawaii's Treasures

Captain Cook first arrived in the Hawaiian Islands on January 18, 1778. This was during his third voyage. His ships stayed there for three months. They were mostly anchored near Kauai and Hawaii. Cook thought these islands were his most important discovery for England. He named them the Sandwich Islands after his supporter, Lord Sandwich.

The items collected show how Hawaiians first treated Cook. They saw him as a god. They gave him important gifts like feathered capes, hats, and ornaments. This was the first time Europeans and Hawaiians met. A busy trade began. Many items, especially those worn or carried, were brought back to England. Hawaiian collections from Cook's trips show how amazing their featherwork was at that time.

Cook's ships returned to Hawaii almost a year later. They had explored the northwest coast of America, Alaska, and Northeast Asia. They stayed for a few weeks without problems. They left but had to return because of a ship issue. On February 14, 1779, Cook was killed in Hawaii. This happened due to a sad misunderstanding.

The Australian Museum's Cook collection has many items from Hawaii. These include a feathered cloak, four feathered ornaments, a woven cane helmet, and a nose whistle. There is also a shark's tooth ring, tiny carved turtle figures, a shark's tooth knife, and pieces of barkcloth.

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  H000104- Feather cloak (ʻahuʻula)

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  H000087- Lei

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  H000111- Shark's tooth knife

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  H000114- Netting for feather cloak

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  H000141- Wicker helmet (mahiole)

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  H000150- Shark's tooth ring

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  H000151-001- Carved turtle figures

Northwest American Coast

Cook's ships left Hawaii on February 2, 1778. They headed for North America and saw land on March 7. On March 29, they found Nootka Sound. Cook named this area King George Sound. The ships stayed there for about a month. They were repaired and prepared to search for the Northwest Passage.

A lot of trading happened here. Most of the items from the NorthWest Coast came from Nootka Sound. Wooden combs were common, and several were collected. The next stops were Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. The items collected here are a mix. They include things from the Tlingit people and Athabaskan groups. Cook noticed that no one lived in the bay where they anchored. Containers made of mountain sheep horn were collected. They seem to be in the Athabaskan style.

In Unalaska or the Aleutian Islands, the crew traded cloth from Hawaii and Tahiti. They exchanged it with locals for arrows and other items. Only a few objects can be directly linked to Cook's voyages. Small ivory birds, possibly game pieces, were likely collected in Unalaska. Many weapons, fishing tools, and hunting tools were collected in northern America and Asia. It is hard to know exactly where they came from.

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  H000056-Scoop

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  H000110- Comb

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  H000122- Fish hook

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  H000139- Bone harpoon

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  H000106- Harpoon

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  H000151- Harpoon head

New Caledonia's Artifacts

Cook visited New Caledonia for two weeks in 1774. This was during his second voyage. He spent eight days in the Balad area. There, Cook took part in a gift exchange ceremony. Not many items were collected. Most were weapons, which the local people were happy to sell. New Caledonian hardwood clubs were beautifully carved and polished. The Australian Museum's collection has three spearthrowers. It also holds one of three knitted bags for slingstones. There are also two combs in the collection.

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  H000108- Comb of quills

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  H000109- Comb of quills

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  H000115-Knitted Bark String Bag

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  H000119-Carved Ornament

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  H000147- Wooden club

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  H000148- Wooden club

New Zealand Encounters

Before Cook, the only known European visit to New Zealand was by Abel Tasman in 1642. That visit was short and unfriendly. On October 8, 1769, HMS Endeavour anchored in a bay on the North Island. This was the first time Europeans met the local Māori people. Cook and his crew did not have peaceful interactions at first. So, the ship left, and Cook named the area Poverty Bay.

However, the Endeavour then sailed around both the North and South Islands. They met many different Māori groups. Goods were exchanged between them. French ships also visited New Zealand in 1769 and 1772. Cook's ships returned on his second (1773) and third (1777) voyages. Some experts believe that iron tools and European ideas might have changed how artifacts were made over time.

Since this collection came from Cook's widow, it was likely personal to Cook. This means we cannot know exactly which voyage, area, or date each item is from. Experts have recorded the types of items collected from New Zealand during Cook's voyages. Over 40 cloaks were collected. Also, many body ornaments, feather boxes, and musical instruments were found. Many weapons were collected, but this Cook collection only has one stone club. There are also three stone adze blades and two fish hooks. Food preparation tools were rarely collected. This might be because exchanges happened away from villages, mostly between men.

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  H000063- Ear ornament or Kuru

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  H000082- Adze blade

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  H000085- Stone club or patu onewa

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  H000103- Cloak of dyed flax

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  H000137- Fish hook

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  H000138- Fish hook

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  H000156- Ear ornament or tangiwai

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  H000222- Neck ornament

Society Islands Discoveries

The island of Tahiti is the largest of the 14 Society Islands. This is where Cook first met Pacific Islanders. Another explorer, Samuel Wallis, had visited Tahiti in 1767. A lively trade began. Iron nails and spikes were traded for barkcloth, fish hooks, pearls, and tools. The Frenchman Louis-Antoine de Bougainville also visited in 1768. The items and stories from these trips made Europeans imagine Tahiti as a paradise.

The Royal Society chose Tahiti to watch a special astronomical event. This was the Transit of Venus. Cook was sent on his first voyage for this purpose. On April 13, 1769, after eight months at sea, the Endeavour arrived at Tahiti's Matavai Bay. This was the same place Wallis had visited. The islanders welcomed Cook and his crew. They called them "TAIO" or friend. They gave them gifts of perfumed cloth. Soon after, "Queen" Purea gave Cook a pig and fresh food. Cook gave her beads and trinkets in return.

Cook named a nearby point Point Venus. Here, they watched the planet Venus cross the face of the Sun on June 3, 1769. This event was watched at 26 different places worldwide. But astronomers later realized that the telescopes of that time were not precise enough. They could not accurately measure the distance between Earth and the Sun.

Cook and Joseph Banks later sailed around Tahiti. Then they visited the Bora Bora group. A Tahitian priest named Tupaia (navigator) guided them. He and his servant traveled on the Endeavour to Batavia. Sadly, he got sick and died there.

The Endeavour spent three months in the Society Islands. Cook's ships returned three more times on later voyages. During these visits, goods and gifts were always exchanged. Iron nails and axes were highly valued. Food, fish hooks, adzes, and barkcloth were traded for them. Many objects were collected. Also, many detailed drawings and maps of the islands were made.

The items collected cannot be linked to a specific island or voyage. Before Cook arrived, there was already a lot of trade between the islands. Banks enjoyed seeing and sometimes joining Tahitian life. He took part in a public dance ceremony. It was accompanied by drums and a nose flute. He also joined a mourning ceremony. He was fascinated by the costume worn by the chief mourner. The Australian Museum's collection has an example of a shell breast ornament. Semicircular breast ornaments, or gorgets, were commonly worn. Many were collected by the crew. Barkcloth was often given in large pieces to the visitors. Much of the collected cloth was cut into pieces. These pieces were put into books of barkcloth samples.

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  H000101- Bark cloth

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  H000105- Breast Ornament

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  H000130- Fish hook

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  H000133- Fish hook

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  H000135- Fish hook

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  H000136- Fish hook

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  H000140- Fish hook

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  H000143- Nose flute

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  H000145- Breast ornament

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  H000149- Chest ornament

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  H000153- Wooden net needle

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  H000212- Bark cloth

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  H000218- Bark cloth

Tonga's Friendly Islands

The Tongan islands were visited by explorers Le Maire in 1616 and Abel Tasman in 1643. But no Tongan items from these trips have been found. Samuel Wallis saw the northern islands in 1767. Cook's ships visited the islands for a few days in 1773. They returned briefly in June 1774. Cook named them the Friendly Islands. He came back on his third voyage in April–July 1777.

It was known that Wallis had traded iron nails for a club in 1767. The iron tools traded during Cook's second voyage changed carving techniques. This can be seen in wooden items collected on the third voyage. Many items were collected from Tonga. Many are specific to a certain voyage. Some items collected were from Fiji and Samoa. This shows that Tongans already traded with their neighbors.

Many body ornaments were collected. These include a small ivory human figure, likely worn as a necklace. There are also three shell necklaces. Several kinds of pandanus mats were collected. Many baskets of different styles and materials were also found. Fly whisks, food tools, bowls, neck rests, noseflutes, and panpipes were collected. However, the Australian Museum collection does not have examples of these. Some fishing gear is present, like a fish net and 11 fish hooks. Combs collected were made from coconut leaves. They were woven with fine cord to make pretty patterns.

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  H000098- Woven mat

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  H000102- Basket

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  H000116- Neck ornament

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  H000117- Neck ornament

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  H000121- Fish hook

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  H000128- Fish hook

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  H000144- Fishing net

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  H000151- Carved Figure

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  H000152- Neck ornament

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  H000351- Comb

Vanuatu's New Hebrides

Quiros had named the islands of Vanuatu Australia Del Espiritu Santo. Bougainville had visited in 1768. Cook made three landings on his second voyage. These were on the islands of Malakula, Erromango, and Tanna. He renamed the group the New Hebrides. There was fighting, except on Tanna. So, it is likely that all non-weapon items in Cook's collections came from Tanna. Panpipes in the Australian Museum collection are thought to be from Tanna. The arrows are also believed to be from Vanuatu. There are three clubs in the Banks collection that might have been collected on Cook's second voyage.

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  H000112- Pan Pipes

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  H000292- Club

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  H000158-164- Arrow heads

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  H000293- Club

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  H000295- Club

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  H000366- Club

• Adrienne L. Kaeppler "Artificial Curiosities". Being an Exposition of Native Manufactures Collected on the Three Pacific Voyages of Captain James Cook, R. N. Honolulu, Bishop Museum, 1978.