Captain Cook bicentenary commemorative presentations

Abstract

On 1 May 1969 the Australian Academy of Science held a Cook Bicentenary Symposium in Canberra under the chairmanship of its President, Sir Macfarlane Burnet. Lord Blackett, President of the Royal Society, just before delivering an opening address to the Symposium, was invited by Sir Macfarlane Burnet to receive on behalf of the Royal Society a gift of a painting of Banksia serrata by Celia Rosser specially commissioned by the Academy to commemorate the association of the Royal Society with the voyage of the Endeavour , which was so significant to Australia. Lord Blackett then invited the Academy to accept a handsomely bound copy of an extract from the Royal Society Minutes of Council held on 23 June 1768 containing the ‘Directions to be observed by Captain James Cook and Mr Charles Green, with respect to their making astronomical observations in the Pacific Ocean, and in the voyage out and home again’. Sir Richard Woolley, Astronomer Royal, and Dr D. C. Martin, Executive Secretary of the Society (accompanied by Mrs Martin) were present at these ceremonies as well as Fellows of the Society resident in Australia who are also Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science.