Scott Morrison announces $6.7 million Captain Cook project

The Prime Minister is being crucified on social media over a controversial, multimillion-dollar project to “rediscover” Captain James Cook.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggests it is time to “rediscover” Captain James Cook because he gets “a bit of a bad show”.

Mr Morrison has promised to spend more than $12 million on projects marking the 250th anniversary of the British explorer’s first voyage to Australia.

“The thing about Cook is I think we need to rediscover him a bit because he gets a bit of a bad show from some of those who like to sort of talk down our history,” he told Cairns radio station 4CA on Tuesday.

“This guy was an enlightened man for his generation and his time.”

Some have slapped down the idea as a waste of money. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr Morrison has announced $6.7 million in funding for a replica of Captain Cook’s famous ship the Endeavour to circumnavigate Australia over 14 months, stopping at 39 locations along the coast.

The government will also provide a $5.45 million grant to the Cooktown 2020 Festival.

The prime minister says the festivities will recognise and celebrate both indigenous and European histories.

“That’ll be great for tourism and it will also be a great opportunity just to talk about our history — the view from the shore, the view from the ship — and very much understanding those two stories,” he said.

“We’ve got great stories — some of them are hard, some of them are magnificent — but we’ve got to tell them all.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who was in Queensland to announce a policy on hydrogen energy, welcomed the government’s funding announcement. However, he insisted Labor was more focused on the future than the past.

“A replica vessel trip around Australia sounds very nice in 2020-21,” Mr Shorten told reporters in Gladstone.

“But let me also be clear, I’m here today announcing the future for Australia.

“I think we’ve got to respect our history and what happened in 1770, but I’m also interested in what happens in Australia in 2070.”

Portrait of Captain James Cook never actually circumnavigated Australia. Picture: National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

Mr Morrison has been criticised online after some believed he had mistakenly described the Endeavour’s circumnavigation as a “re-enactment” of the voyage of Captain Cook.

However, a spokeswoman from the Prime Minister’s office told news.com.au the PM never claimed the circumnavigation was a re-enactment.

Speaking to the ABC, Mr Morrison said “the re-enactment of the voyage that will call in all around the east coast of Australia on the 250th anniversary” will be “great for tourism” as well as a “great opportunity” to spark conversation about our history.

“It’s important the lessons and the stories that came out of that experience along the east coast of Australia is shared with the rest of the country,” he also told reporters in Cooktown.

While Captain Cook charted the east coast, he did not circumnavigate Australia.

Matthew Flinders was the first to sail around the country between 1801 and 1803.

But some social media critics interpreted Mr Morrison’s comments as a historical error, with many also slamming the plans as a waste of money.

BREAKING: Scott Morrison to announce billion dollar reenactment of Captain Cook's historic moon landing. pic.twitter.com/PCsE8QyJJ8

— CFMEU C&G Qld/NT (@CFMEUQNT) January 22, 2019

The $6.7 million the government is spending on a replica Captain Cook voyage that never actually happened would fund the Aboriginal Legal Service's life-saving Custody Notification Service for nearly 14 years in one state.

— Denham Sadler (@denhamsadler) January 22, 2019

BREAKING: Scott Morrison has intervened to endorse Captain Cook for the vacant seat of Higgins #captainspick #auspol

— The Shovel (@TheShovel) January 22, 2019

Matthew Flinders was British. Cook was British. King Bungaree was the first person from this country to circumnavigate the continent with Flinders from 1802 to 1803. There are no statues of Bungaree in this country. @IndigenousXLtd pic.twitter.com/t0D8N57EKR

— John Paul Janke (@jpjanke) January 22, 2019

$6.7milion???? For 250k you could put one of these maps in every school in Australia (9,500). Would teach way more history than that of Cook's short sail up the East Coast. (*Maybe even cheaper with a bulk discount) @IndigenousXLtd @IndigenousX pic.twitter.com/2Hx52OH3A7

— John Paul Janke (@jpjanke) January 22, 2019

The Endeavour replica will sail from Sydney in March 2020, heading south to Hobart before turning north and sailing around the country’s coastline.