D.O.S.D.,
R.A.A.F. HEADQUARTERS

With reference to the Radiogram received from London enquiring whether Point Cook was named after the great navigator James Cook, I desire to state that consequent on researches made at the Melbourne Public Library that this personage has no connection with the locality, neither is the presumption correct as to it being named after an early settler in the district.

From my researches made, the first attempt at settlement of Victoria was undertaken in the year 1803 when a party on board a small schooner named the "Cumberland" reached Port Phillip Bay (Port King as it was then termed) for the purpose of making detailed examinations of the Southern Coasts of Australia. The command of this schooner was given to Lieutenant Charles Robbins of the H.M.S. "BUFFALO".

The real commander of the expedition was Charles Grimes, Surveyor General of New South Wales, he was directed to survey and report on King’s Island, Port Phillip and Storm Bay. With the party was an emancipated convict named James Flemming who reported on the quality of the soil and other agricultural matters. This party mainly leaned on the Eastern side of the bay and got no further than what is now known as Arthur’s Seat. By the12th February 1803 they had victualled the boat with four days’ provisions and sailed for the western shores of the port.

According to "Victoria and its metropolis'' by Sutherland (Page 53) the party, with seven men, started at sunrise to commence at "Point Cooke" to explore the shores. There is evidently some mistake in this assertion for it is well known that it was from Grimes’ plan that Matthew Flinders completed his chart of Port Phillip.

On further research one finds that on reference to "First Years at Port Phillip" by R.D. Boys (a former public Librarian), page 58 that the geographical feature under discussion did not receive a name until 1836-1837. Boys quotes as follows:-

"On December 11th., 1837, the H.M.S. "RATTLESNAKE" sailed for Sydney from Port Phillip. During the stay of that ship Captain William Hobson, Lieut. Thomas M.C. Symons, Lieut. Hastings R. Henry, and Peter Frederick Shortland, Mate, surveyed Port Phillip Bay. Among the names given, were Point Cooke (after John M. Cooke, mate), Point Wilson (after John Wilson, Midshipman), Point Henry (after the Lieutenant), Point Richards (after Lieut. Charles Richards of the "RATTLESNAKE"), Shortland’s Bluff (after the mate)."

It is well known in Victorian History that Hobson’s Bay (P.P.) was surveyed by Hobson of the H.M.S. "RATTLESNAKE" in 1836 and was named after him by Sir Richard Bourke (the Governor of New South Wales, which then included what is now Victoria). Hobson also surveyed Corio Bay and published a chart of Port Phillip.

Under these circumstances the naming of Point Cooke must be attributed to Lieutenant John Murray Cooks, a short biography of whom is as follows:-

"John Murray Cooks was the second son of the Rev. William Cooks, M.A., Vicar of Bromyard, County Hereford. He entered the Navy on 9th February 1827 as first class volunteer, on board the "ASIA" (84 guns) bearing the flag of Sir Edward Codringham under whom he fought at the battle of Navarin, 20th October following. He continued to serve on the Mediterranean Station, as midshipman and mate, on the "BRISK" and "WASP" sloops, both commanded by Captain Thomas Smith, and in the "BRITANNIA" (120 guns), flagship for some time of Sir Pultsney Malcolm, until February 1835; after which he was employed for four years on board the "RATTLESNAKE" (28 guns) commanded by Captain William Hobson, on a surveying expedition to Australia and New Zealand, and entrusted with the performance of Lieutenant’s duty. On his return to England in 1839, he became attached to the "EXCELLENT"; Gunnery ship at Portsmouth, under Captain Sir Thomas Hastings. For his subsequent services in China, where, in the "BLENHEIM" (72 guns) under Captain Sir Humphrey Fleming Stenhouse, he witnessed all the chief operations, including the capture of the forts in the Boca Tigris, the Fall of Canton, etc., he obtained a commission dated 8th June 1841. He then joined the "NIMROD" (20 guns) under Captain Joseph Pearse, and from the 31st. March, 1842, until paid off in January 1845, he was employed in the East Indies, on board the "PELICAN" (16 guns) under Captain Philip Justice. His last appointment was, 25th. February 1846, to the first Lieutenancy of the "Electra" (14 guns) under Captains William Herbert Maitland and the Hon. Fred. Wm. Flaydell Bouveris, serving in north America and the West Indies. Owing to the illness of Captain Maitland, Lieut. Cooke acted for eight or nine months, by the authority of his Admiral, as commander of the "ELECTRA".

The particulars for this pen portrait of Lieut. Cooke are taken from "A Naval Biographical Dictionary" by O’Byrne, (London 1849).

Being an active member of the Historical Society of Victoria, I attended the monthly meeting last night (29/11/37) when the subject matter was a talk entitled "The first occupation of the Eastern part of Port Phillip" by the Secretary of the Society (Mr. A. S. Kenyon), I took the opportunity of discussing with the speaker of my researches, but as he was only dealing with the Eastern shore of the Bay he had not touched on the matter, but quite agreed with what I had to say, as did one or two other members, pointing out that the Lands Department of Victoria always show the name of Point Cook on all their maps.

As I feel very satisfied with the researches undertaken I would unhesitatingly say that the locality, where now stands our original flying training establishment, is named after Lieut. Cooke, and would like to suggest, if I may, that steps be taken to have it widely known and spelt as "COOKE", and trust that these researches will be useful for any historical purposes.