original design of monument included statue of cook @ top
the cook monument @ cooktown erected in 1887 hobbs , carter of south brisbane, designs prepared in office of queensland colonial architect, george st paul connolly.
cooktown had been established in september 1873 endeavour river port palmer river goldfields. mid-1880s serving 1 of significant goldfields in queensland. railway constructed cooktown laura between 1884 , 1888, further opening port development. late 1880s cooktown had become important centre not of thriving mining district (boosted 1887 discovery of tin along annan river), of pearling, beche-de-mer, , pastoral activity. after 1885, cooktown main port queensland trade new guinea.
in may 1886, premier of queensland, sir samuel walker griffith, travelled cooktown , other northern ports on tour of inspection, partly associated defence issues, more political strategy. separation movement gaining momentum in townsville , far north, , griffith keen demonstrate government s commitment to, , concern for, northern queensland. cooktown municipal council @ time seeking commemorate james cook s encampment @ endeavour river in winter of 1770, , appears griffith, political expediency, committed colonial architect s office designing cook monument @ cooktown.
the cooktown municipal council had intended monument include statue of james cook, when tenders called in june 1886, again in september 1886 , february 1887 different materials specified, column only. in december 1887 sir samuel griffith re-visited cooktown, , when requested mayor provide assistance in commissioning statue, refused, stating more important commemorate event person.
the contract had been let in february 1887 hobbs , carter of south brisbane, price of £1,059 , completion time of 8 months. appears memorial not constructed on site proposed, necessitated additional foundation, bringing final cost £1,297. foundation stone laid on 1 september 1887 mayor of cooktown, john savage, , work had been completed january 1888. sandstone used in construction came murphys creek in southeast queensland, , reputedly first stone structure erected in cooktown.
around monument, small (1.5 acres) reserve municipal purposes gazetted in june 1888. brick-lined town well, believed have been built cooktown municipal council service ships berthed @ nearby cooktown wharves, constructed in reserve, south of monument. work undertaken post-1888, council filled in of cook monument reserve in 1889. small vertical boiler engine pumped water wharves through 3 diameter pipe. understood has supplied adjacent charlotte street businesses time time.
in 20th century, several other memorials erected within reserve:
kennedy memorial: granite cairn erected in 1948 honour british explorer edmund besley court kennedy, killed aborigines on cape york peninsula (part of cook shire) in december 1848. kennedy s exploratory work helped open far north queensland pastoral settlement in mid-19th century. memorial unveiled on 25 september 1948 chair of cook shire council, mayor wch hodges.
national horse trail marker: small granite cairn erected in august 1977 mark beginning of national horse trail cooktown melbourne, , epic ride of dan seymour, in 1970s demonstrated feasibility of such trail. trail mapped between 1974 , 1980s, when made bi-centennial project. sections used regularly, few people have ridden full distance. marker erected australian trail horse riders association , unveiled henry tranter, president of tablelands trail horse riders club.
annan river water supply memorial fountain: in 1989 old town on reserve cleaned out , fountain constructed on commemorate inauguration in november 1989 of new permanent water supply annan river cooktown. annan river pipeline joint federal, state , local government project, replacing cooktown s previous water supply bore fields on southern outskirts of town.
1803 cannon: there located in reserve cannon cast in 1803 in carron, scotland, , bearing royal monogram gr. during height of russian invasion scare of 1885, cooktown municipal council telegraphed premier of queensland, requesting him supply arms, ammunition , officer take charge of cooktown volunteer defence force. cannon sent, along 3 cannonballs, 2 rifles , 1 officer. cannon located on foreshore near cooktown powder magazine on webber esplanade, overlooking entrance cooktown harbour on endeavour river estuary. fired once year part of annual cook s landing re-enactment celebrations.
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