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pp. 1-
“There is perhaps no land-mark better known to mariners along the coast of New South Wales than the remarkable peak called Pigeon House, and which is situated about twelve miles in a direct line westerly from Ulladulla. Before discussing the incidents connected with the first ascent of this mountain by a white man, it will be of interest to refer to its discovery, and to some of the early coastal surveys in the locality between Shoalhaven and Bateman’s Bay, leading up to the subsequent settlement.
“The Pigeon House was discovered and named by Captain Cook on the 21st April, 1770, or two days after his discovery of the eastern coast of Australia.
“His remarks made when between Cape Howe and Botany Bay are of special interest to Australians, as he was then forming his first impressions of the Continent. When passing the vicinity of Merimbula and Tathra, Cook made the following entry in his log : - ‘Saw the smoke of fire in several places upon the land, a sure sign of its being inhabited.’
“At 6 o’clock in the morning the Endeavour passed a high mountain, which Cook named Mount Dromedary. He appears to have regarded Montague Island as part of the mainland extending easterly from the Mount and he called it Cape Dromedary. He refers to both Cape and Mount Dromedary in his private log.
“At 7 o’clock he made the following entry : - ‘Saw a peaked hill bearing N.10 degrees E’t,’ This is the first reference to the Pigeon House, for in the official log of that same hour and date the entry reads : - ‘saw a remarkable peak, called Pigeon House Hill.’ In the general history of Cook’s voyages this peak is described as ‘a remarkable peaked hill which resembled a square dove-house, with a dome at the top, and which, for that reason, I called the Pigeon House.’ In the afternoon of the same day Cook discovered and named Bateman Bay and Point Upright [at North Durras Beach]. He mentions seeing a fire ashore at night, and on the following morning he saw breakers just off a low island, where lay some sunken rocks. Cook did not name the island, but it is now known as Murramarang or Brush Island.
“The locality has a special interest, for it was near this point, on the Kioloa side of Murramarang, probably on Koorbrua Beach [Racecourse Beach, just north of Nundera Point; Ref: Kioloa Parish Map, 6th ed., 1908.], that Cook first saw the native inhabitants of Australia. In his private log the entry reads : - ‘Saw several people on the beach.’ In the journal of Lieutenant Zachary Hicks, who was next in command to Cook, the entry is : - ‘saw a ledge of breakers N.N.E., lying off a low island: - saw Indians on shore.’ Gunner Stephen Forwood wrote : - ‘saw several Indians on shore. The remarkable peak is called Pigeon House Hill and at noon was N. 46 degrees W.’ In a journal kept by Richard Pickersgill, master’s mate, is the following : - ‘As we stood along shore we saw four or five of the Indians sitting near the fire : they appeared to be naked and very black.’ In an unsigned journal supposed to have been written by Sir Joseph Banks the following entry occurs : - ‘On Sunday we saw several of the natives kindling fires along the shore. The land extending a little to the eastward of north, we steered along the coast northwardly, intending to anchor in the first bay.’ It is not improbable that when Murramarang was first occupied by White men, in the late ‘twenties [1820’s], some of the old blacks then living could remember, when piccaninies, having seen the wonderful sight of Captain Cook’s vessel sailing past their shores.
“An interesting point in connection with Murramarang Island [Brush Island] is that the records show that Cook approached it in the hope that, behind it, he might be able to obtain shelter. Pickersgill, when speaking of the breakers and island writes : - ‘Within them is a bay formed by the island, but as it had no good appearance the Captain did not think it fit for our purpose to stop at it.’ Had he found shelter there, it is not improbable that Murramarang would have been the site of the great navigator’s first landing in Australia.
“Cook gives frequent bearings to the Pigeon House from the time he first saw it near the Dromerdary until he lost sight of it after passing Jervis Bay. Owing to adverse winds, his little sailing vessel was tacking between Point Upright and Ulladulla, for at 6 a.m. on the 22nd April, Point Upright is stated to be ‘west, distant three leagues,’ and at 8 a.m. on the 24th the entry reads : - ‘three-quarters past eight; Pigeon House due West,’ but at noon ‘the Pigeon House was S’t 75 degrees west.’
“Cook makes no reference to Ulladulla, but named Cape St. George, which was discovered on St. George’s Day, and adds that ‘about two leagues to the northward the shore seemed to form a bay.’ In August, 1791, this bay was visited and named Jervis Bay by Lieutenant Richard Bowen [Weatherhead’s Map of 1794], who came out in the transport ‘Atlantic,’ as naval agent.
“Cook attempted to land just north of the Five Islands, accompanied by Banks, Solander, Tupia, the Otaheitian [Tahiti] interpreter, and four seamen, but was not successful. Lieutenant Hicks writes : - ‘Ye captain went away in ye yawl, but could not land for ye surf.’ On the 28th April he reached Botany Bay where he landed on the historic spot now known as Kurnell, and where the late Thomas Holt erected a monument [see also] to the great navigator’s memory.”
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