Image: Captain Cook takes formal possession of New South Wales 1770

Description: Captain Cook takes formal possession of New South Wales, Possession Island, 22 August 1770. During his first voyage of discovery Captain Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia, landing at Botany Bay. Reaching the tip of Queensland, he named and landed on Possession Island, just before sunset on Wednesday 22 August 1770, and declared the coast a British possession: "Notwithstand[ing] I had in the Name of His Majesty taken possession of several places upon this coast, I now once more hoisted English Coulers and in the Name of His Majesty King George the Third took possession of the whole Eastern Coast by the name New South Wales, together with all the Bays, Harbours Rivers and Islands situate upon the said coast, after which we fired three Volleys of small Arms which were Answered by the like number from the Ship."
Title: Captain Cook takes formal possession of New South Wales 1770
Credit: Personal library of John C. Vaughan
Author: John Alexander Gilfillan
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No