Endeavour Voyage

The story of HMB Endeavour's 1770 voyage lies at the core of the Australian nation. Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians exhibition explored views from the ship and shore on the 250th anniversary of the 1770 journey.

Endeavour Voyage was on show at the National Museum of Australia from 2 June 2020 to 26 April 2021.

The Message 12:58

Watch filmmaker Alison Page and the Museum's Senior Indigenous Fellow Margo Neale in a special screening of The Message and live stream conversation on YouTube.

For 126 days, Cook and his crew travelled up Australia’s east coast — from what we now know as Point Hicks in southern Victoria to the tip of Cape York in Queensland. Join us in re-looking at the events of 1770, and embrace a shared history of this country.

Bana Yirriji Artist Group:
We want Australians and the rest of the world to hear the other side of the Captain Cook story.

Join the conversation Visitor responses Share your response to Endeavour Voyage and join our sea of opinions and perspectives.

Cook's journal See pages and read transcripts of Cook's account of the Endeavour's voyage up the east coast in 1770.

Recasting Cook See recent artworks created by Indigenous communities and school children and Cook memorabilia and souvenirs created over many years.

Aboriginal language game

Play this game to learn words in Guugu Yimidhirr, an Aboriginal language from Far North Queensland that the Endeavour crew learnt along the way.

Play Talkin' Guugu Yimidhirr

Sky stories See how Australia’s Indigenous peoples and the Endeavour voyagers looked at the same night sky but read different meanings into the stars.

The early voyage Learn about life on board the Endeavour and what happened before the ship sighted the Australian continent on 19 April 1770.

9 places up the coast Travel in the ship’s wake, visiting places connected to the Endeavour story and reflecting on key moments.

The Message Watch the film and read Alison Page's reflections on reimagining the message of the Endeavour’s arrival being passed up the coast.

After the voyage The results of Cook’s first Pacific voyage were many and far-reaching and the impact is still felt today.

Endeavour reflections Angus Trumble reflects on key objects from the exhibition and early journal entries of James Cook, Joseph Banks and Sydney Parkinson.

Endeavour Voyage book Insights from authors including Shona Coyne, Megan Davis, Alana Garwood-Houng and Maria Nugent.

Making a multi-sensory Endeavour experience Explore the thinking behind digital experiences and how they were tweaked to adapt to COVID-19.

Telling our stories our way The Gadhungal Research Team shares stories of the Dharawal ancestors at Kamay (Botany Bay).

Through children’s eyes See children's artworks created in response to the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour's voyage.

Introducing Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians 7:35

Learn about the making of the exhibition, working with Indigenous communities and key objects.

Acknowledgements

The Australian Government has funded the National Museum of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to deliver a program of activities marking the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour voyage.

The National Museum thanks our supporters.

Logos, from left, for the Australian Government, The Australian National Maritime Museum, The National Library of Australia, The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Cultural partners: The Monthly, The Saturday Paper, 7am Media Partners, ABC, The Canberra Times. Accommodation partner: Accor. Beverage partner: Lerida Estate.