Collins Rock
Grade 3: Site of Cook’s first attempted landing on the coast of Australia, and first clear views of the local indigenous inhabitants. Interpretation panels. Again, the area is certainly not in the condition it was when Cook nearly reached the beach.
Situation: Collins Rock (aka Flat Rock) near Collins Park, Kulgoa Road, off Campbell Street, Woonona, north of Wollongong.
Coordinates (decimal): 34.35 S 150.92 E
Endeavour Journal, 28 April 1770:
Following the sighting of Garie North Head on 26 April, by the early morning of 27 April Endeavour found herself further south and nearer to Red Point. Cook recorded ‘in all this time we lost ground owing a good deal to the variableness of the winds’.In the PM hoisted out the Pinnace and yawl in order to attempt a landing but the Pinnace took in the water so fast that she was obliged to be hoisted in again to stop her leakes. At this time we saw several people a Shore four of whome were carrying a small boat or Canoe which we imagined they were going to put into the water in order to come off to us but in this we were mistaken. Being now not above two Miles from the Shore Mr. Banks Dr. Solander Tupia and my self put off in the yawl and pull'd in for the land to a place where we saw four or five of the natives who took to the woods as we approached the Shore, which disappointed us in the expectation we had of getting a near view of them if not to speak to them; but our disappointment was heighten'd when we found that we nowhere could effect a landing by reason of the great surff which beat everywhere upon the shore. We saw hauld up upon the beach 3 or 4 small Canoes which to us appear'd not much unlike the small ones of New Zeland, in the woods were several trees of the Palm kind and no under wood and this was all we were able to observe from the boat after which we returnd to the Ship about 5 in the evening. At this time it fell calm and we were not above a mile and a half from shore in a 11 fathom water and within some breakers that lay to the southward of us, but luckily a light breeze came off from the land which carried us out of danger and with which we stood to the northward. At day light in the morning we discovered a Bay which appeared to be tollerably well sheltered ... [Botany Bay].
Joseph Banks’ also recorded the event in his Journal:
After dinner the Capt. proposed to hoist out boats and attempt to land, which gave me no small satisfaction; it was done accordingly but the Pinnace on being lowerd down into the water was found so leaky that it was impracticable to attempt it. Four men were at this time observd walking briskly along the shore, two of which carried on their shoulders a small canoe; they did not however attempt to put her in the water so we soon lost all hopes of their intending to come off to us, a thought with which we once had flatterd ourselves. To see something of them however we resolvd and the Yawl, a boat just capable of carrying the Captn, Dr. Solander, myself and 4 rowers was accordingly prepared. They sat on the rocks expecting us but when we came within about a quarter of a mile they ran away hastily into the countrey; they appeared to us as well as we could judge at that distance exceedingly black. Near the place were four small canoes which they left behind. The surf was too great to permit us with a single boat and that so small to attempt to land, so we were obligd to content ourselves with gazing from the boat at the productions of nature which we so much wishd to enjoy a nearer acquaintance with. The trees were not very large and stood separate from each other without the least underwood; among them we could discern many cabbage trees but nothing else which we could call by any name. In the course of the night many fires were seen.
Banks was interested in the cabbage trees because of their value as a food that prevented scurvy.
For more information about the attempted landing see http://cookwoonona.blogspot.com/
