Campaign for replica of Cook's ship to revisit UK

The ship is one of the world's most accurate maritime replica vessels, according to the Australian National Maritime Museum

A campaign hopes to bring a replica of Captain James Cook's famous ship to the town where the original was constructed to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth.

Cook sailed the Whitby-built HMS Endeavour on his first voyage of discovery to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia from 1769 to 1771.

A group organising celebrations of Cook's anniversary in 2028 said an Australian-built replica returning to the North Yorkshire coast would be a "fantastic spectacle".

Clair Stones, a member of the Endeavour International Alliance, said it would form the "centrepiece" of celebrations.

"Our aim is to really celebrate everything that he brought and did for the country and for the world," she said.

After years of debate, researchers made recent headlines around the world after confirming Endeavour's final resting place as Rhode Island's Newport Harbor.

The alliance, made up of museums, maritime institutions, civic bodies and cultural partners, wants to "inspire future generations".

She continued: "Our heartfelt wish is that we can bring the Endeavour replica - which is currently moored in Darling Harbour in Sydney - back to the North East."

Ms Stones, who is also chair of the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, said the replica ship could visit Middlesbrough, Cook's birthplace, as well as Whitby.

Clair Stones hopes the replica of the famous ship will return to Whitby in 2028

The model is described as "one of the world's most accurate maritime replica vessels" by the Australian National Maritime Museum, where it is currently based.

"We're in communication and talking to Australia, making contact with stakeholders in every way that we can," Ms Stones said.

"Our fear is that if we don't manage to get it in 2028, it'll never happen again."

The replica previously visited Whitby in 1997, 2002 and 2003.

"The flotilla of ships, boats, helicopters, thousands of people - it's just something that you cannot describe, you have to actually experience it," she added.

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