Cooks' Cottage

Cook's Cottage in Melbourne is the only building in the city that dates from the 18th century. Originally built in Yorkshire in 1755, it was shipped to Australia in 1933. The house served as the residence of the parents of the famous explorer James Cook, though the captain himself never set foot in it, since he never visited Melbourne. Today the memorial recalls the historic connection to the exploration of Australia's east coast. You can see the cottage set within a period-style cottage garden, where history comes alive beneath the Union Jack. Its location in the romantic Fitzroy Gardens, laid out in 1848, also draws wedding parties on a regular basis for photos.