When did captain James Cook find New Zealand?

It happened on the 6th of October

This British explorer and cartographer became famous for having mapped the huge area of the Pacific Ocean. Did you know that he was the one to record his circumnavigation of New Zealand? Moreover, he also mapped the coastline of the island.

Actually, the island was discovered in the 17th century, so captain Cook wasn't the first to discover the area, though he was the first to make a detailed description of it.

After 1769 the island was visited by many other Europeans as the area became a significant trade center.

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26 Comments

Gayle Temple

How can Cook claim to have discovered a place where people had already lived for centuries? The Maori discovered New Zealand!

llm

The same way Christopher Columbus discovered America!

Bruce A Holden

I somewhat agree with you, Gayle but the word "discover" does not have to mean "got there first." Yes, other human beings got their first, but James Cook was the first European to reach New Zealand or to "discover" it for European Civilization. You can argue that others were there first, and yes, you are right. The question is, what does the word "discover" actually mean? With Cook's arrival, the Islands which make up New Zealand were then opened up to further exploration and settlement. The same can be said for Columbus who can actually be given the credit, for the exact same reason, for having "discovered" the Amerias. Other arrivals did not have the impact that his discovery did.

Baron Byron Greenback

I discovered a colony of humans living in a forest recently! I'm a discoverer!

bobpercefull

I SEE THE WORDING WAS CHANGED TO "FIND" RATHER THAN "DISCOVER".. MORE ACCURATE.

Kevin Coleman

Gayle Temple, first European. Satisfied?

Spike Holmes

llm, Such a load of BULL! AMERIGO VESPUCCI, "discovered" "the Americas", - ergo, "THE AMERICAS"

Spike Holmes

Cook DIDN'T sight New Zealand first - THAT honour went to DUTCH explorer, ABEL TASMAN, - in 1642. Hence, the TASMAN SEA - and, the DUTCH name "NEW ZEELAND", - "ZEELAND" is STILL a province of the Netherlands

Karin Johansson

khalilbobb, actually you are wrong. The Vikings discovered America, and there are legends that even an irish monk discovered it before them. Not a spanish man.

Karin Johansson

llm, but he wasn't the first at all. The Vikings were. And he didn't even know where he was. He thought he was in India.

khalilbobb

Colombus still can't be given credit tbh... He didn't spot the AMericas... a black spaniard (Rodrigo) discovered it, then told him...

GwendolynReeder

Maoris are indigenous to New Zealand as Native Americans are to the U.S. Columbus didn't find America. It was not lost!!!

Brendon Powell

New Zealand was thought to have been settled by Polynesians between 950 and 1130 AD, arriving in a number of twin hulled or outrigger canoes. The first group of canoes was known as “The Great Fleet”, thought to be the first mass arrival of Polynesian settlers.

Bruce A Holden

The point is, the word "discover" doesn't mean "got there first" or "saw it first" or any of those things. It has a cultural bias, and simply means changed the rest of the known world for his "discoveries." That is why Columbus can be credited with "discovering" the new world, not the Vikings, nor the Native Americans, nor others. His discovery changed the known world, and caused others to want to expand on his discovery.