CAPTAIN COOK’S LANDING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4628, 21 November 1923, Page 4

CAPTAIN COOK’S LANDING

PERPETUATING EVENT ON PLAINS SUGGESTIONS FOR THE COUNCILAt the last meeting of the Hauraki Plains County Council the following letter was read from Mr W. E. GWilly :—“ As the Hauraki Plains County has the distinction of being visited by James Cook,, Lieutenant Commander R.N. (afterwards Captain Cook,) and Joseph Banks (afterwards Sir Joseph Banks, K.C.B-), the famous botanist, on November 21, 1769, I am writing to you as the duly constituted local authority to ask you to consider perpetuating this. historic landing of 154 years ago. Both Cook and Banks recommended this district as being the. place to establish a colony, and took away with them some kahikatea timber as well as recording thatl they found a kahikatea tree 89 feet high to the first branch and 19 feet' 8 inches in girth six-feet from the ground. I suggest first to your council that the road from Carter’s corner .eastward along the river bank to section 114 be officially named Captain Cook Road. Secondly, as the position of the kahikatea tree measured by Conk can now be approximately Ibcated, I suggest to your council that steps be taken to have this position placed on record now as the hand of time is yearly making it more difficult, and there are very few persons who can locate the spot. For the time being, a survey peg marking the site of the tree would be advisable, as I feel-sure as time goes on that something more tangible will perhaps be done to, commemorate the landing of Cook on the Hauraki Plains.” Cr. Parfitt said thatl the request was a worthy one. He moved that the Minister of Internal Affairs be requested to have a suitable monument erected on the spot. This was seconded by Cr. Mayn and carried; ■