Spanish,Portuguese and Deutch explorers begin to explore the Pacific in the 17th century.At first they belived that Australia, then known as New Holland, was part of a larger sauthern continent.In 1642 the Deutchman Abel Tasman (1603-1659) discovered Tasmania and by sailing round Australia proved it to be anisland.However, the Pacific remained largely unknown, too distant and too poor to attact European trading interest.

Capitan James Cook (1728-1779) visiting Tahiti on the first(1768-1771)of his three Pacific voyages.He charted the New Zeland coasts and landed on the east coast of Australia at Botani Bay.On his second voyage(1772-1775) Cook discoverd Easter Island,the Society and Friendly Islanders, the New Hebrides, New caledonia, Norfolk Islands and the Sandwich Islands in Hawaii.On his last voyage,to discover the Noethwest Passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the Artic(1775-1779)he was killed in hawaii.

Capitan James Cook´s ship was HM Bargue Endeavour.There is a full-size working replica of the ship which sailed up the Thames arriving at London after a long voyage from Australia and was open to visit at Greenwich Pier.Then it visited 15 different ports around Britain before it sailed for the U.S.A.
Capitan James Cook set sail with the original Endeavour, a convered collier bargue, on August 1768 on his famous voyage of exploration and scientific discovery to the Pacific.