Discovery Place

Discovery Place is named after a ship associated with explorer James Cook, who chose a Whitby-built collier to accompany the Resolution on his third voyage.

Cook had served his apprenticeship with John Walker, shipowner and coal merchant of Whitby in Yorkshire. A Whitby collier combined strength, a shallow draught, and large storage capacity.  Built from local oak for transporting coal, the collier could hold supplies and scientific equipment for the voyages, and could survive accidental grounding.

Discovery was captained by Charles Clerke with George Vancouver as midshipman.

The voyage's stated purpose, locating the Northwest Passage, was not achieved, but the expedition explored and mapped North America's west coast from California to the Bering Strait.

Visiting the Hawaiian Islands, Cook attempted to take as a hostage Kalaniopu'u, the king of Hawaii after the theft of a ship's boat. As a result, Cook was killed on 14 February 1779. Captain Clerke took command, but he too died on the voyage and Lieutenant Gore finally brought the ships home.

The Discovery that served as a prison hulk on the Thames was a later ship of the same name.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.