Endeavour Reef

Endeavour Reef is a coral reef within the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is convert|14|km long and runs in a north-west to south-east direction. The center of the reef is located at coord|15|46|S|145|34|E|display=inline,title ["Note that the Gazetteer places the reef at coord|15|46|S|145|34|E|display=inline, based on information supplied by Great barrier Reef Marine Authority and 1:250 000 cartographic records and which is therefore assumed to be correct. Google Earth shows it about 5km further north at coord|15|41|10|S|145|29|24|E|display=inline which is assumed to be a cartography error given the lack of land-based references nearby. The locations shown on the map are derived from King's description of the surrounding waters and satellite photo observations and are approximations only."] . It is about convert|6|km north-east of the Hope Islands in the Hope Islands National Park and convert|12|km off the mainland.

It was encountered by Captain James Cook when HM Bark "Endeavour" ran aground there on 11 June 1770. In his journals, Cook described striking the south-eastern end of the reef at 11pm after having passed just north of Pickersgill Reef [Pickersgill Reef coordinates per [http://fedlaw.gov.au/ComLaw/Legislation/LegislativeInstrumentCompilation1.nsf/framelodgmentattachments/DDF8AADFC2F048B3CA2571C6001DD6C5] : coord|15|51.05|S|145|33.79|E|display=inline] about one hour before. [ [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8106/8106.txt The Project Gutenberg EBook of Captain Cook's Journal During the First Voyage Round the World, by James Cook] ]

Philip Parker King described the region in his "Voyages for the Survey of the Intertropical coasts of Australia" Volume 2 following his expeditions between 1818 and 1820. [ [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=jg9nJL5YgqUC&pg=PA153&lpg=PA153&dq=Endeavour+Reef&source=web&ots=E0x2HSRMb7&sig=ReFuVTb87VFBqvrSM8BaggD0MXY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA3,M1 Voyages for the Survey of the Intertropical coasts of Australia] by Philip Parker King at Google Books] King described the reef as being "... nine miles long; it lies in a North-West direction; the north end, in 15 degrees 39 minutes South, bears due from the North-east Hope." and stated that there was a dry rock on the western edge "... in latitude 15 degrees 39 minutes 55 seconds."

In 1969 a search discovered the six abandoned cannons, ballast and an anchor which had been discarded by the "Endeavour" crew in 1770 whilst attempting to refloat the ship. [ [http://www.anmm.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/anchors_cannon.pdf The Vernon Anchors and HMB Endeavour Cannon] at the Australian National Maritime Museum]

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/gazd01?rec=133682 Gazetteer of Australia]