<article class="media media--type-fotoweb media--view-mode-full align-left">
<div class="field field--name-field-fotoweb-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cms-web-media.seamuseum.net/public/styles/uncropped/public/fotoweb/2026-10/cook-tupaia-tupaia.png?VersionId=rvIEylKPy5PnH1VY.Dkygiylct_ANZ39&amp;itok=LbDDI_NT&amp;v=8fcdd7420736" width="991" height="2048" alt="Illustrated figure representing Tupaia, shown standing and facing slightly to one side. The figure wears a sleeveless yellow garment and a light-coloured wrap around the waist, with short dark hair and bare feet." class="image-style-uncropped">
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Born: Raiatea, 1725 (approximately)
Early life: Tupaia was born in Raiatea, where he lived until he was about 30 years old. In 1757, the island was invaded by a neighbouring island, and Tupaia was forced to flee to Tahiti. A few years later, Tahiti was visited by the first Europeans, Captain Samuel Wallis aboard the vessel, Dolphin.
Role on Endeavour: Tupaia originally became friends with Joseph Banks, who suggested Tupaia join the crew to travel in search of The Great Southern Land and then back to England. While aboard Endeavour, Cook and the others saw what a great navigator Tupaia was; he used the stars, the current of the ocean and the wind to navigate, which was completely new to the crew. In Aotearoa, Tupaia’s role quickly became the translator and diplomat , a role no one else on the Endeavour had! Despite the importance of his role, there are no portraits of him.
Most famous for: Drawing one of the first maps of the Polynesian Islands. &nbsp;
Died: Batavia (modern-day Jakarta), 1770&nbsp;

Tupaia

<article class="media media--type-fotoweb media--view-mode-full align-left">
<div class="field field--name-field-fotoweb-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cms-web-media.seamuseum.net/public/styles/uncropped/public/fotoweb/2026-10/James%20Cook%20bhc2628.jpg?VersionId=G_GlFtU.TlD5qMzCMni.w_Xkxd1n8vcG&amp;itok=f8sWCE3J&amp;v=8eb4a4b210a4" width="956" height="1200" alt="Oil portrait of British naval officer James Cook seated at a table with a large chart spread before him. Cook wears a dark blue naval coat with gold trim and a white waistcoat, and gestures towards the map while holding a drawing instrument. A glimpse of the sea appears through an opening in the background." class="image-style-uncropped">
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<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-media-caption field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item">
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) licence terms apply. <a href="https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-14102">Captain James Cook, 1728-79 | Royal Museums Greenwich&nbsp;</a>
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Born: Marton, England, 1728
Early life: Cook was the son of a Scottish farm labourer. As a boy he showed skill in mathematics and came to the attention of the lord of the local manor who paid for Cook's education at Postgate School, a charity school in Great Ayton. &nbsp;
In 1747 he was apprenticed to the shipowner James Walker and for nine years worked on colliers (coal ships) taking coal around the North Sea, English Channel, Irish Sea and Baltic Sea. &nbsp;
At age 27 he joined the Royal Navy with the rank of Able Seaman (a general sailor). During the war with France he sailed the Atlantic and learnt the art of surveying using astronomy and trigonometry. He returned to England at the end of the war and married 21-year-old Elizabeth Batts.
Role on Endeavour: Cook was the commander of the Endeavour. &nbsp;
Most famous for:
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e3cb33c06d6041eba05c888f1d930104f">Three voyages to the Pacific, including the Endeavour voyage</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e018ba06408a328b5f88fb12f39e9645a">Charting the east coast of Australia (which he called New South Wales)</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e6fb21b0ee177304720b57695d65dc58a">Protecting the welfare of his sailors, particularly in preventing scurvy</li>
</ul>
Died: Hawaii, 1779
[icon] Did you know: Cook was actually a Lieutenant at the time of the Endeavour voyage, not a Captain!&nbsp;

James Cook

<a href="https://collections.sea.museum/objects/44027"> 
</a><article class="media media--type-fotoweb media--view-mode-full align-left">
<div class="field field--name-field-fotoweb-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cms-web-media.seamuseum.net/public/styles/uncropped/public/fotoweb/2026-10/00004855.jpg?VersionId=Cry05h3klYBSE1U.W6m4JeJilFlokTxm&amp;itok=NqucFJmo&amp;v=1d6331c5e042" width="1531" height="2048" alt="Sepia-toned engraved portrait of Joseph Banks seated at a desk with papers, books and scientific instruments. Banks wears eighteenth-century clothing and faces the viewer, while a globe and open landscape are visible in the background." class="image-style-uncropped">
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ANMM <a href="https://collections.sea.museum/objects/44027">Object number 00004855&nbsp;</a>
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Born: London, England, 1743
Early life: Banks was educated at private schools and studied natural history at Oxford University. When he was 21 years old, Banks inherited his family estate and become one of England's wealthiest men. His vast wealth meant he had no need to work, but he was a ‘gentleman scientist’ and dedicated his life to investigating the natural world.
Role on Endeavour: Banks saw the scientific potential in the expedition to the Pacific and used his contacts and wealth to join. Banks brought with him a team of eight men and their servants. His vast amount of equipment included a library of over 150 books, special equipment for dissecting and preserving, microscopes, a sea telescope, paper for drying plants, storage trunks, beads and mirrors.
Most famous for: &nbsp;
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="ec8fa63e21f5a27977d8a2cabedf98a10">Throughout the Endeavour voyage, Banks collected samples of flora and fauna and made detailed notes in his journal on all aspects of the living world as well as the customs and practices of the Indigenous people he encountered. &nbsp;</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee1995105206f1c2be3e67c6ebb022a8e">In 1778, Banks was elected president of the Royal Society, a position he held until his death. He supported further scientific expeditions and was fundamental in the decision for the British colonisation of Australia.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8ab5d6698d7059daa98faa346facf2ce">In 1799, Banks founded the Royal Institution, a learned society dedicated to the ‘diffusion of knowledge’. It was one of the only societies of its kind that allowed women to join! This organisation is now a museum and is dedicated to making science and technology fun and easy to understand. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Died: London, England, 1820&nbsp;

Joseph Banks

<article class="media media--type-fotoweb media--view-mode-full align-left">
<div class="field field--name-field-fotoweb-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cms-web-media.seamuseum.net/public/styles/uncropped/public/fotoweb/2026-10/cook-tupaia-charles-green-1.png?VersionId=H15eRg4wuCL7wiOx66398CtY.a8bC4Xw&amp;itok=z385_9sJ&amp;v=266d7229c919" width="953" height="2048" alt="Illustrated figure representing Charles Green, standing and facing slightly to one side. The figure wears eighteenth-century clothing, including a dark coat, light-coloured waistcoat and knee breeches, with shoulder-length brown hair and spectacles. The image is drawn in a simple cartoon style against a transparent background." class="image-style-uncropped">
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Born: England, 1734
Early life: Charles Green’s father was a wealthy farmer. After finishing school, Charles Green continued to learn about astronomy while working as an assistant teacher. In 1760, he began to work with the astronomers at the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Role on Endeavour: Astronomer Charles Green was appointed by the Royal Society of London to observe the 1769 transit of Venus.
Most famous for: On 3 June 1769 Charles Green, James Cook and Daniel Solander observed and recorded the transit. After HMB Endeavour returned to England, their results were merged with other observations from different sites around the world. Unfortunately despite his contribution to science, there is no portrait of him.
Died: Charles Green died during HMB Endeavour’s return to England, suffering from scurvy and dysentery.

Charles Green

Born: Unknown &nbsp;
Early life: There is no evidence that either Sydney Parkinson or Alexander Buchan received any formal training in art, and we don’t know for sure how they learned to draw. &nbsp;
Role on Endeavour: Sydney Parkinson and Alexander Buchan were artists employed by Joseph Banks to record the natural history of the South Pacific.
Most famous for: Buchan's legacy is in his illustrations of people in western Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Parkinson's many works provide pictorial evidence of what Australia was like before the British colonisation. His botanical drawings were used in Banks' Florilegium, a collection of engravings of plants collected by Banks and Solander on the voyage. &nbsp;
Died: Both men died during the Endeavour voyage leaving behind significant artworks featuring landscapes, flora and fauna and the Indigenous people of Polynesia and Australia.&nbsp;

Sydney Parkinson and Alexander Buchan

Born:&nbsp; Sweden,1733
Early life: Solander studied botany at Uppsala University, where he learnt about the new classification system developed by his teacher, Carl Linnaeus. The Linnaean classification system groups like with like using the same Latin two-term name system we still use today. He travelled to London in 1760 and was appointed a fellow of the Royal Society, where he met the wealthy amateur naturalist, Joseph Banks. &nbsp;
Role on Endeavour: Solander was hired by Banks to assist with collecting and describing plant specimens using the Linnaean classification system. Their mission was to observe, collect and record plants and animals at sea and on shore, and to observe the customs of local peoples.
Most famous for: Collecting 30,300 plant samples with Banks during the Endeavour voyage, including 1,400 species previously unknown to European scientists. &nbsp;
Died: London, England, 1782&nbsp;

Daniel Solander

The crew included:
<ul>
<li data-list-item-id="eaa2d6df71f8030026bc4eb7603f72fec">6 Commissioned Officers chosen by the Royal Navy to sail the ship including the commander (James Cook), Lieutenants (Zachary Hicks and John Gore) and the midshipmen who were officers in training.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8ec2cf97bbb7fe456c7e634d85393260">6 Warrant Officers, who did specific work to care for the ship and crew. These roles included the master, the gunner, boatswain (bosun), surgeon, carpenter, armourer and sailmaker.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="edd1e819e4086cf07aff5072ffd555730">38 Able Seamen, experienced sailors who also had other roles such as the butcher or cook.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea4cbfd2c250e66d5fcd7f79a70cc4552">12 Marines in case avoid trouble amongst the crew and attack from foreigners and Indigenous peoples that the ship may encounter on its journey. They were sometimes required to work shoulder to shoulder with the crew.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e9cd7bd09c728c5c7be8461594e0b4f2e">Assistants (called 'mates') to the master, carpenter, boatswain and surgeon.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eeb41c08fafd98063f0f18b6788100f7c">Servants to the officers and gentlemen.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

The crew

Name: Isaac Manley
Born: 1755
Early life: At 13 years old, Manley started his career in the Navy as an apprentice and 'young gentleman' on Endeavour. &nbsp;
Role on Endeavour: Isaac Manley was servant to the master of the ship, Robert Molineaux. Isaac learnt a lot from Molineaux including how to sail the ship, use navigational equipment to navigate safely and how to manage in emergencies. &nbsp;
Most famous for: Isaac was appointed a midshipman aboard Endeavour in February 1771 after the deaths of Midshipmen Bootie and Monkhouse and continued to have a successful career until his death.
Died: 1837
[icon] Isaac is the main character in Robert Hill’s book, Captain Cook’s Apprentice!
&nbsp;
Name: Nicholas Young (aka Young Nick)
Born: 1757, Scotland
Early life: Nick was only 11 years old when he joined Endeavour’s voyage, making him the youngest person onboard the ship. &nbsp;
Role on Endeavour: Nick was employed as the assistant to the ship’s surgeon, William Monkhouse. &nbsp;
Most famous for: Nick was first person onboard Endeavour to sight the coast of New Zealand. Cook named part of the coastline ‘Young Nick’s Head’ in his honour. A bronze statue of Young Nick is located in Waikanae Beach, Gisborne, New Zealand to commemorate the sighting.
Died: Unknown! After returning to England, Nick become a servant of Joseph Banks. We don’t know what happened to him after this. &nbsp;
[icon] Nicholas is the main character Karen Hesse’s book Stowaway!

The kids

Born: Unknown. &nbsp;
Early life: In 1766, the goat joined Captain Wallis aboard the Dolphin. This journey lasted several years, and they travelled from England to Tahiti and back!
Role on Endeavour: The well-travelled goat provided fresh milk for the three years of Endeavour’s voyage. &nbsp;
Most famous for: Being the first recorded goat to travel around the world twice!
Died: When the goat returned to England she was allowed a peaceful retirement. An obituary for the goat was published upon her death on 28 April 1772.
[icon] The well-travelled goat is the main character in Jackie French’s book, The goat who sailed the world!&nbsp;

The well-travelled goat

The muster book or list of names on board HMB Endeavour counted 94 men and boys when the ship sailed from England. Each person had a particular role to contribute to the objectives of the voyage. &nbsp;

James Cook and Tupaia - Bonus content

Contents

The muster book

James Cook and Tupaia - Bonus contentJames Cook and Tupaia - Bonus content

Contents

The muster book

James Cook and Tupaia - Bonus content