Shipwreck confirmed to be Captain Cook’s HMB Endeavour

THE AUSTRALIAN National Maritime Museum (ANMM) has confirmed that a shipwreck site in the United States is HM Bark Endeavour, made famous for its circumnavigation of the world under the command of Captain James Cook.

The confirmation came in a final report last week from the museum, which detailerd that a shipwreck site called RI 2394 in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island was that of Lord Sandwich (ex-HM Bark Endeavour), which had been sunk by British forces during the American War of Independence in 1778.

The museum stood by its initial identification of the shipwreck in February 2022, remarking the release of the final report “confirms and deepens our identification (of the shipwreck)” after 25 years of study.

The report also includes the ANMM’s final archaeological site plans and comparisons between the shipwreck site and historical plans of Endeavour.

The report includes a collation of data related to numerous 18th century shipwreck sites of British and American-built vessels, revealing that British-built vessels were comprised almost exclusively of European oak and elm timber components, while their colonial American counterparts tended to be a polyglot of timbers native to North America.

The ANMM said that since its 2022 preliminary report, and after numerous presentations at domestic and international archaeological forums, no substantive responses have refuted the identification of RI 2394 as HM Bark Endeavour, and thus the final report is its definitive statement on the shipwreck site’s identity.

Daryl Karp AM, director and CEO of the museum said, “This Final Report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel”.

“It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe. This Final Report marks our definitive statement on the project,” Ms Karp said.

“We want to acknowledge the work of the museum’s archaeological team over the past 25 years, the work of Dr Kathy Abass in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island authorities, and the many subject specialists who have provided expert information and guidance over the years.”

HMB Endeavour is an integral part of Australian history; between 1768 and 1771, she voyaged to the South Pacific, primarily to record the Transit of Venus in Tahiti in 1769.

Following completion of that astronomical mission, the bark sailed around the South Pacific searching for the Great Southern Land, charting the coast of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia (New Holland) in 1770.

In 1775, it was found to be in poor condition and sold to a private owner, who renamed her Lord Sandwich. She carried goods to the Baltic before being hired by the British Admiralty to operate as troop transport.

 In 1776, Lord Sandwich took soldiers to fight against the American colonists who sought to break free from British control, before being scuttled alongside four other vessels in 1778 during the American War of Independence.