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1773 - Chart of New Zealand Explored in 1769 and 1770 by Lieut. J. Cook Commander of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour

Map maker	Size	Map ID	Condition
James Cook	380 x 480 mm	D1 / M252 / I177	Please contact us for a condition report

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This is the first printed chart of New Zealand which was published only three years after Cook completed his charting of the two Islands in 1770. Cook had originally come to the Pacific to observe the transit of Venus across the sun which would allow map makers to judge their location more accurately. Upon completing this assignment Cook found he had secret orders to continue across the southern Pacific in search of the fabled land of Terra Australis or great southern land. When Cook arrived at the eastern coast of New Zealand he at first believed that he may have found the edge of this tremendous and foretold rich landmass. However on charting the landmass he found that New Zealand was not the predicted great southern land but rather two large islands. Before Cook it had been only Abel Tasman who had charted any of the New Zealand coastline. Cook's tremendous achievements in its charting and the accuracy to which he achieved it are to this day still worthy of his position as one of the great explorers.

This chart is especially interesting as it indicates or rather speculates at the interior of the country whereas only the coastlines were properly explored. People familiar with the modern map of New Zealand will see that Stewart Island in the south is shown as a peninsula while the peninsula south of Christchurch is shown as an island (Banks Island).

Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was an exceptional explorer, navigator and cartographer who during his three voyages exploring the Pacific (1768-1779) charted a number of coastlines and produced many detailed charts. Of his many charts there are around thirteen that depict Australia & New Zealand, six of which are central to his accomplishments. These include the three key charts from his three Pacific voyages, Chart of the South Sea… (1773, Showing a complete Australia and New Zealand for the first time), ‘A Chart of the Southern Hemisphere …’(1777, showing his exploration around the Antarctic) and ‘A General Chart…’(1784, of the world showing all of his voyages’ discoveries). This world chart is said to have been the most accurate map of the world when it was first published. Three of his other central charts are a ‘Chart of New Zealand…’, ‘A Chart of New South Wales…’, and ‘Botany Bay…’, which are all from his first voyage, published in 1773. All of his charts are of a very high quality and are particularly important because they usually showed new discoveries for the first time. Sadly in 1779 Cook was killed in Hawaii during his third voyage to the Pacific.

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