Endeavour Reef

Endeavour Reef is a coral reef within the Great Barrier Reef. It is within the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. On 11 June 1770, the HM Bark ''Endeavour'' under the command of Lieutenant James Cook struck the reef and ran aground.

History

The reef was encountered by Lieutenant James Cook when HM Bark ''Endeavour'' ran aground there on 11 June 1770. In his journals, Cook described striking the south-eastern end of the reef at 11pm after having passed just north of Pickersgill Reef about one hour before. Cook named the reef Endeavour Rocks.

The ''Endeavour'' crew discarded six cannons and ballast in order to refloat the ship. Hans Hass searched unsuccessfully for the cannons during several dives in December 1952. In 1969 an underwater search discovered the six abandoned cannons and ballast.

Geography

The reef is about long and runs in an east–west direction. The center of the reef is located at . It is about south-east of the Hope Islands in the Hope Islands National Park and off the mainland.

Philip Parker King described the region in his ''Voyages for the Survey of the Intertropical coasts of Australia'' Volume 2 following his expeditions between 1818 and 1820. King described the reef as being "... nine miles long; it lies in a North-West direction; the north end, in 15 degrees 39 minutes South, bears due from the North-east Hope." and stated that there was a dry rock on the western edge "... in latitude 15 degrees 39 minutes 55 seconds." It is probable that he was referring to Cairns Reef which is further to the north.

Recovered cannons

Of the six cannons recovered, they are held by the following museums:

* National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia
* Cooktown Museum (formerly James Cook Museum), Cooktown, Australia
* Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia
* Te Papa Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
* Royal Museums Greenwich, London, United Kingdom

References

{{Reflist

External links

Gazetteer of Australia

Great Barrier Reef
Reefs of Australia