Captain James Cook

Captain James Cook was one of the world's explorers. He is best known to Australians for being the first to discover the East Coast of Australia. Cook's first jobs were as a farm labourer, then an apprentice greengrocer.

Cook soon formed a great passion for the sea. His first experience was working on a coal ship. He had a love for mathematics and navigation and used all his spare time to study them. A major tuming point came when Cook joined the Royal Navy. He would eventually be promoted to Captain. He was later placed in charge of HM Bark Endeavour.

It was very clear that Captain Cook saw that it was very important to worship God. The famous botanist, Joseph Banks, travelled with Cook when he discovered Australia. He also showed his worship of God when he wrote;

"It being Sunday, Captain Cook proposed that divine service should be celebrated, but before the time most of our Indian friends had gone home to eat. I was resolved, however, that some should be present that they might see our behaviour, and we might if possible explain to them (in some degree at least) the reasons of it. I went, therefore, over the river, and brought back Tubourai and Tamio, and having seated them in the tent, placed myself between them. During the whole service they imitated my motions, standing, sitting, or kneeling as they saw me do; and so much understood that we were about something very serious, that they called to the Indians without the fort to be silent."