"On Wednesday 24 May 1770, Lieutenant James Cook anchored the Endeavour about 3 kilometres off this part of the coast near Round Hill Head. Cook went ashore near Round Hill Head with botanist Joseph Banks and his assistant Daniel Solander." [ex-Monuments Australia website: (
visit link) ] The cairn stands near where Cook's crew carved the date of their landing on tree.
The Monuments Australia website has the following excerpt from 'The Brisbane Courier' of 10 June, 1926:
"The University of Queensland will be represented at the unveiling of the Captain Cook memorial at Bustard Bay next Saturday by the Garrick Professor of Law (Dr. Cumbrae Stewart), who is president of the Historical Society of Queensland and secretary to the joint committee of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (Queensland branch), and the Historical Society of Queensland, by whom the memorial was erected.
"It is expected that there will be a number of visitors from Bundaberg and Gladstone. H.M.A.S. Sydney will arrive in Bustard Bay on Friday, and the unveiling ceremony will be performed by Commodore Hyde, R.A.N., on Saturday morning. The Sydney will be the first man-of-war to anchor in Bustard Bay since H.M.S. Investigator (Captain Matthew Flinders) anchored in 1802, under Round Hill Head, which separates Hervey Bay from Bustard Bay. The memorial is placed high on Round Hill Head, above the spot where Captain Cook landed. It is visible for a considerable distance, and will remind all who see it that on May 24th, 1770, the British first set foot on Queensland soil."
A metal sign beside the Discovery Trail gives some specifics on the placement of the cairn, as follows:
"Lt James Cook Monument Cairn
"The Royal Geographical Society of Australia and Queensland Historical Society cooperated to erect a cairn in honour of Captain James Cook. A public appeal was opened by Sir Matthew Nathan, Governor of Queensland and President of the Royal Geographical Society. People responded generously and within a month enough money had been received.
"To ensure the cairn was situated appropriately, local man Philip Elliot and Professor Cumbrae-Stewart of the Queensland Historical Society went across the bar in Mr Elliot's launch and then followed Cook's course to come back in, thus giving them a good idea of where Cook landed.
"The concrete obelisk was unveiled on 11 June 1926 by Commodore George Hyde, RAN Commander of His Majesty's Australian Fleet. HMAS Sydney was anchored in the bay."
Subsequently the locality of Bustard Bay has been named Seventeen Seventy, aka 1770.
Visited: 0732, Thursday, 9 June, 2022