Theme Week Queensland – Cooktown

5 August 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

HM Bark Endeavour replica in Cooktown © John Hill/cc-by-sa-3.0

HM Bark Endeavour replica in Cooktown © John Hill/cc-by-sa-3.0

Cooktown is a small town at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. Both the town and Mount Cook (431 metres or 1,415 feet) which rises up behind the town were named after James Cook. It is the northernmost town on the east coast of Australia and was founded on 25 October 1873 as a supply port for the goldfields along the Palmer River. It was called ‘Cook’s Town’ until 1 June 1874. Cooktown has recently grown in importance again and become a popular tourist destination. The paving of the Mulligan Highway now provides all-weather access by road for the first time. There are two flights a day connecting Cooktown with Cairns. The town now has good communications, more services, better roads, and offers residents a relaxed and healthy lifestyle.   read more…

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