Endeavour Replica to Circumnavigate Australia

The replica ship HMB Endeavour will circumnavigate Australia from March 2020 to May 2021, to mark 250 years since Captain James Cook reached the east coast of Australia in 1770.

Led by the Australian National Maritime Museum, the circumnavigation will provide an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the voyage in Australia’s history, including the impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

The Museum will consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to ensure that the voyage is sensitive to any significant cultural and local issues and provides a perspective of Cook’s arrival in Australia from both the shore and the ship.

The Australian Government is providing $6.7 million to the Australian National Maritime Museum for the voyage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “As the 250th anniversary nears we want to help Australians better understand Captain Cook’s historic voyage and its legacy for exploration, science and reconciliation. That voyage is the reason Australia is what it is today, and it’s important we take the opportunity to reflect on it.”

The HMB Endeavour replica will set sail from Sydney in March 2020, and head south to Hobart before turning north to commence a full circumnavigation of mainland Australia. She will berth in a variety of ports to connect with as many Australians as possible.

The Australian-built replica undertook her maiden voyage in 1994. Since then, she has sailed over 170,000 nautical miles twice around the world, visited 29 countries and many Pacific islands, and opened as a museum in 116 ports. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have come on board to see how Cook and his men lived.