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The history is just the beginning...
sightseeing in cooktown
cooktown
The cannon, cast in Scotland in
1803
,
3 cannonballs, 2 rifles and 1 officer were
sent. It is
still fired
on the Queen’s Birthday
Weekend in June. Here also is the
Musical
Ship
, a musical playground for an interactive
experience to delight both adults and children.
Continue on to
Bicentennial Park
which
features the
James Cook Statue
donated to
the people of Cooktown by BP. The Park is also
the site of the annual re-enactment of Cook’s
landing. The bronze statue is the work of the
Australian sculptor Stanley Hammond. A large
granite rock on the foreshore bears a plaque
with the inscription,
“This cairn marks the
spot where Captain James Cook beached
his “HM Bark Endeavour” in the year 1770”
.
On to the Milbi Wall (The Story Wall) built
by
Gungarde Aboriginal Corporation
, the
Queen’s Steps
and statues of
Mick the
Miner and the Chinese monument
which
commemorate the
Palmer Gold Rush
, to the
Cooktown Wharf
. Here you can try casting a
line or simply chat with the locals.
On a path just past the Wharf is the
Powder
Magazine
. Used for the storage of explosives,
it is interesting to note that no nails were used
in its construction in
1874
. It is believed to be
the
oldest brick building in Cape York
.
Alongside the Post Office, walking west, are
the former Shire Council Offices. Originally
built in 1876-77 as a
Post & Telegraph Office
,
the building was taken over by the Council in
1893 after fire destroyed their original offices.
This building is now home to
The History
Centre
with award winning interpretive
displays from the
Cooktown Historical
Society’s Archives & Research Centre
.
Across the street is the
Sovereign Resort
Hotel
. The original Sovereign Hotel was built
in
1874
and was one of the first double storey
buildings in Cooktown. Partially destroyed
during the cyclone of 1949 it attracted the
nickname “The Half Sovereign”.
Further on
Mrs Watson’s Monument
(c.1886)
is dedicated to Mrs Watson, who survived an
Aboriginal attack on Lizard Island in September
1881, to die later on Number 5 Island of the
Howick group. Next to the monument is
The Boat House
, home to the Re-enactment
Association and a wealth of information on
Captain Cook’s stay in Cooktown.
Across the street lies the
Ferrari Estates
, built
in
1886
for the Bank of North Queensland,
and
Seagren’s Inn
, erected in
1880
by a
former mayor, P.E.Seagren, as a store. Next
door is the magnificent
”Old Bank” building
,
c.1891.
Musical Ship
James Cook Historical Museum