Cooks' Cottage, previously known as Captain Cook's Cottage, is located in the

Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne The Fitzroy Gardens are 26 hectares (64 acres) located on the southeastern edge of the Melbourne central business district in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The gardens are bounded by Clarendon Street, Albert Street, Lansdowne Street, and ...

, Australia. The cottage was constructed in 1755 in the English village of

Great Ayton Great Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England. The River Leven (a tributary of the River Tees) flows through the village, which lies just north of the North York Moors. Etymology Great Ayton's ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, by the parents of Captain James Cook, James and Grace Cook,The Captain Cook Society: Cook's Log, page 212, volume 6, number 3 (1983).
/ref> and was brought to Melbourne in 1934 by Sir

Russell Grimwade Sir Wilfrid Russell Grimwade (15 October 1879 - 2 November 1955) was an Australian chemist, botanist, industrialist and philanthropist. He was the son of Frederick Sheppard Grimwade and brother of Harold Grimwade. An endowment by Grimwade in 19 ...

. It is a point of conjecture among historians whether James Cook, the famous navigator, ever lived in the house, but almost certainly he visited his parents at the house. The inside of the cottage includes centuries-old antiques and is stylised in the way of the 18th century, as are the clothes of the volunteer guides.

History

In 1933 the owner of the cottage decided to sell it with a condition of sale that the building remain in England. She was persuaded to change "England" to "the Empire", and accepted an Australian bid of £800, by

, as opposed to the highest local offer of £300. The cottage was deconstructed brick by brick and packed into 253 cases and 40 barrels for shipping on board the ''Port Dunedin'' from Hull. Cuttings from ivy that adorned the house were also taken and planted when the house was re-erected in Melbourne. Grimwade, a notable businessman and philanthropist, donated the house to the people of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

for the centenary anniversary of the settlement of Melbourne in October 1934. The cottage immediately became a popular tourist attraction. In 1978 further restoration work was carried out on the cottage. An English

cottage garden The cottage garden is a distinct style that uses informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, it depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure. Ho ...

has been established around the house, further adding to its period reconstruction. Very few of the items in the house are from the Cook family, but all are representative furnishings of the period.

In popular culture

The cottage features in two scenes of the 2012 movie ''

Any Questions for Ben? ''Any Questions for Ben?'' is a 2012 Australian comedy film created by Working Dog Productions, directed by Rob Sitch. It stars Josh Lawson, Rachael Taylor, Felicity Ward, Daniel Henshall, and Christian Clark. It was written by Santo Cilauro ...

''.Movie review: Any Questions For Ben?
25 February 2012, 89.9 LightFM, ''... It is great to take note of the locations – Captain Cook's Cottage, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Yarra River...''

Gallery

Cooks' Cottage Inside 01.jpg, Cooks' Cottage Inside 03.jpg, Cooks' Cottage Inside 04.jpg, Cooks' Cottage Inside 05.jpg,

References

External links

* {{MuseumVictoria James Cook Relocated houses Museums in Melbourne Houses completed in 1755 Houses in Melbourne Historic house museums in Victoria (Australia) East Melbourne, Victoria Landmarks in Melbourne 1934 establishments in Australia Buildings and structures in the City of Melbourne (LGA) Cottages

History

In popular culture

Gallery

See also

References

External links