COOKTOWN DISCOVERY FESTIVAL

The Cooktown Discovery Festival is held annually here in Cooktown Far North Queensland. The uniquness of our community is showcased during the Festival where our joint cultures and history are presented to the people of Australia during the Re-enactment of the Landing of Captain Cook here on the banks of the Endeavour River in 1770 after his ship  was holed on the Great Barrier Reef. This is the location of the first European settlement on the east coast of Australia when Cook and his crew spent 48 days here repairing the  HMB Endeavour so they could make the journey back to England and report their finding of this continent to King George the Third, paving  the way for what was to become the First Settlement at Botany Bay,eighteen years later. Cook states in his journal that there was nowhere in their entire journey that would have afforded them the same relief.The Endeavour  would not  have been repaired and wouldn't have returned to England to report their  findings to the British Admiralty.All the people of  our community are  working side by side to present our unique history to the world.There are many activities which will take place during the Festival  but  there are two events which are major highlights.The Re-enactment of the Landing of Captain Cook here on the banks  of the Endeavour River  shows how Joseph Banks and his botanical team spent hours interacting  with the Guugu Yimithirr and Kuku Yalanji Bama. Banks and his men painstakingly recorded the language of the Indigenous  people of this country for the very first time.Cook's men sighted the  kangaroo[ganguru] for the first time. They also recorded for the first time  a dingo, flying fox,  crocodile [alligator]and many more new  animal species. Banks collected almost half of his Australian Botanical Collection here, all of which were new to science up until that time. The second major event is the Malguri [Corroboree]. A story in song and dance told from the Indigenous viewpoint,  depicting a meeting of the  Indigenous people of the region who came together to tell their stories of the visit of the European's to these shores. This is a very unique place in the histoy of Australia and by working together we present  it jointly from both the Indigenous and  European viewpoints so that the people of Australia become more aware for the unique events which took place right here at Wayambur. [The meeting place.]  For event details   http://aroundcairns.com.au/tnq-whats-on/view_detail-151.html

Location: Cooktown Far North Queensland Contact: Loretta Sullivan,

For further information about Sponsoring an event, market stalls and other activities go to our web site  www.cooktowndiscoveryfestival.com.au Email contactinfo@cooktowndiscoveryfestival.com.au  Loretta Sullivan Secretary Cooktown Discovery Festival