Captain Cook & the Transit of Venus

Discover a World of History and Arts

Lecture 1: The Age of Exploration and the Mystery of Venus

Setting the stage in the 18th century: why nations raced to explore.
The importance of astronomy and navigation in empire building.
The scientific puzzle: how the transit of Venus could measure the solar system.
Introduction to James Cook — his humble beginnings and rise through the Navy.

Lecture 2: Preparing the Endeavour Expedition

The Royal Society’s scientific ambitions and the Admiralty’s secret goals.
The ship Endeavour: a converted coal vessel fit for science and exploration.
Crew and passengers: sailors, scientists, artists.
Joseph Banks — young, wealthy, ambitious botanist who became the scientific face of the voyage.

Lecture 3: Arrival in Tahiti – Paradise and Purpose

First contact with Tahiti in April 1769.
Building Fort Venus and preparing for the observation.
Daily life in Tahiti: trading, diplomacy, and the first cultural exchanges.
Banks’ enthusiasm for documenting plants, animals, and people.

Lecture 4: The Transit of Venus – Science in Action

June 3, 1769: the great observation day.
Cook, Banks, and astronomer Charles Green’s challenges with the black drop effect.
Successes and disappointments: what they did — and did not — achieve scientifically.
How the event symbolised the Enlightenment spirit of discovery.

Lecture 5: Encounter with Tupaia – The Polynesian Navigator

Meeting Tupaia: a priest, diplomat, and master navigator.
His decision to join the Endeavour crew.
How Tupaia guided the Europeans through Polynesian traditions, rituals, and languages.
His map of the Pacific — showing knowledge of over 70 islands.

Lecture 6: Charting New Lands – New Zealand and Australia

After Tahiti: Cook’s orders to continue charting the Pacific.
Navigating New Zealand’s complex coastline with Tupaia’s help.
First encounters with Māori.
Sailing west to Australia: the first European landfall at Botany Bay, named by Banks for its rich flora.

Lecture 7: Legacy of the Voyage – Science, Culture, and Empire

The successes and limits of the transit mission.
The scientific impact of Banks’ botanical collections.
Tupaia’s untold contribution — later overshadowed by European accounts.
How Cook’s precise charts shaped future navigation and empire.
Reflecting on this extraordinary voyage: a story of science, cultural exchange, and human ambition.

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