Which British explorer charted the east coast of Australia in 1770?

James Cook charted the east coast of Australia in 1770. As commander of HMS Endeavour, Cook surveyed the coastline during his first Pacific voyage, producing maps that became highly influential in European knowledge of eastern Australia.

Cook reached the east coast in April 1770 and charted features including Botany Bay, Port Jackson, and Cape York Peninsula. He claimed the coast for Britain under the name New South Wales, although the land was already inhabited by Aboriginal peoples with deep and longstanding connections to it.

A common mix-up is Matthew Flinders, who later led the first complete circumnavigation of Australia and helped establish the continent’s modern name. Abel Tasman explored parts of Australia’s southern and western regions earlier, while William Dampier visited the northwest coast. Cook’s achievement specifically concerns the charting of most of the east coast during the 1770 voyage.