Story: European discovery of New Zealand

Cook’s map of New Zealand

This map of New Zealand as Cook charted it on his first visit in 1769–70 was published in Journal of a voyage to the South Seas (1773) by Sydney Parkinson, an artist who had accompanied Cook. Although there were some inaccuracies in Cook’s map, few countries had been charted so well so early after their discovery by Europeans.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: PUBL-0037-25

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

John Wilson, 'European discovery of New Zealand - Cook’s achievement', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/1426/cooks-map-of-new-zealand (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by John Wilson, published 8 Feb 2005, updated 1 May 2016