Captain Cook is famous for discovering Australia for England. They thought it would make a great gaol for the over flooding prisons back in the motherland…and so modern Australia was born. A few facts about the Captain:
- He mapped the Pacific on his travels to Australia. He also mapped almost all of Australia’s east coast and proved that New Zealand was its own land and not connected to Australia
- Not realising Australia was the Great Southern land he was commissioned to search for, his ship continued south and almost hit Antarctica. He didn’t quite make it, as they had to turn north to resupply their diminishing stocks
- He died in Hawaii in 1779. After a dispute with the local villagers he was stabbed to death by the chief – Kalanimanokahoowaha (according to Hawaiian records)