Cook Bicentenary Expedition

The Cook Bicentenary Expedition 1969 was an expedition undertaken between August 1969 and October 1969 to research the archaeology, geology and biodiversity of Rarotonga, Tonga and the Cook Islands.

Origins and planning of the expedition
In 1965 New Zealand scientists proposed a scientific expedition in the Pacific as part of the bicentennial commemoration of James Cook's landing in New Zealand in 1769. In 1966 the council of the Royal Society of New Zealand proposed the voyage for 1969, using the vessel the HMNZS Endeavour, and invited members of the Royal Society of London to participate in the expedition around the southwest Pacific. In April 1969 Elliot Watson Dawson was named expedition leader and J. V. Eade was named deputy leader.

Because the HMNZS Endeavour could only accommodate 14 passengers and could only allow a limited time ashore to meet the short cruise time it was determined that land parties would have to transported by air at some times with civil air transport available in Tonga and the use of RNZAF Hercules aircraft transport obtained for Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

This led to the development of three expedition groups. The first group was the Tongan group with seven people working on four projects, the second was the Cook Island group which involved eight people working on five projects, and finally the Endeavour group, with four people working on five projects on board the ship.

Participants
Expedition Committee


 * Edwin Ian Robertson, DSIR
 * James William Brodie, New Zealand Oceanographic Institute
 * Richard Kenneth Dell, Dominion Museum

HMNZS Endeavour crew


 * Commander D. G. Bamfield, Captain

Archaeologists


 * Janet Davidson, Auckland Institute and Museum
 * Roger Duff, Canterbury Museum
 * Michael M. Trotter, Canterbury Museum

Botanist


 * William R. Philipson, Botany Department, University of Canterbury

Entomologist


 * Keith Arthur John Wise, Auckland Institute and Museum

Geologists


 * P. G. Harris, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Royal Society of London participant
 * P. E. Baker, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Royal Society of London participant
 * A. Reay, Geology Department, University of Otago

Geophysicists


 * J. T Lumb, Geophysics Division, DSIR, Wellington
 * L. Carrington, Geophysics Division, DSIR, Wellington

Marine Biologists and Geographers


 * Gwynne Vevers, Zoological Society of London, Royal Society of London participant
 * David Stoddart, Department of Geography, Cambridge University, Royal Society of London participant
 * Peter E. Gibbs, Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, Royal Society of London participant
 * Elliot Watson Dawson, Expedition leader, Oceanographic Institute, DSIR, Wellington
 * W. de L. Main, Oceanographic Institute, DSIR, Wellington
 * J. V. Eade, Deputy leader of the expedition, Oceanographic Institute, DSIR, Wellington
 * G. B. Orbell, Soil Bureau, DSIR, Wellington

Atmospheric scientists


 * G. F. Preddey, Physics and Engineering Laboratory, DSIR, Wellington
 * A. Utanga, Department of Internal Affairs, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
 * S. G. Kingan, Department of Internal Affairs, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Media representatives


 * Bruce Morrison, produced, New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, as part of a team of four.
 * Harry D. B. Dansey, Auckland Star, New Zealand Press Association correspondent

Research focus areas
When establishing the aims of the voyage, the Expedition Committee invited participants to propose projects with a limited scope, that could be achieved in the time frame of the expedition. In 1968 the expedition scientific programme was finialised to the following project areas.

Archaeology

The archaeological work of the expedition consisted of a preliminary survey of the Vava'u Group in Tonga, and a survey of Atiu, Cook Islands.

Botany

A study of the flora of Rarotonga to see the distribution of genera in the Pacific.

Entomology

Trapping air-born insects at sea to track insect dispersal and examining insects and small invertebrates in leaf litter, mosses, and soil in southern parts of the Cook Islands to determine distribution patterns of endemic, introduced, and indigenous species.

Geology

A study of the geology of Tofua, in Tonga, in relation to the theory of plate tectonics.

Geophysics

A magnetic survey of the ocean bottom near Aitutaki, Rarotonga, and Mangaia using tracks beneath the Endeavour.

Marine Biology

A survey of habitats of marine animals, and a study of shallow-water marine areas like coral reefs in Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

Oceanography

The oceanography research focus covered four topics. A continuous study of the topography of the ocean floor beneath the ship using echo-sounding, plankton sampling, dredging around Tonga and the Cook Islands for samples of fauna distribution, and water samples for analysis if carbon-14 by the Nuclear Sciences Institute, DSIR.

Soil science

Surveys of soil in Vava'u, Tofua, Kao.

Upper Atmosphere Physics

Studies into the physics of the equatorial ionosphere. This included looking at total ionosphere electron content. They also studied the nighttime VHF television transmissions from Honolulu.

Expedition
The expedition began in August 1969. The Tongan group flew from Auckland to Nuku'alofa via Fiji arriving by September 2, 1969. The Cook Island group were flown by RNZAF Hercules to Rarotonga, or travelled on the M.S. Arawa. On August 27 this group continued on the Hercules to Aitutaki with the Royal Society of London party.

On August 28 1969, the HMNZS Endeavour left Auckland with Duff, Trotter, Eade, Preddey, Carrington, and Bennett on board, arriving in Aitutaki on September 5th. The ship then left for Rarotonga on September 8th for the main seaborne studies. These studies were completed successfully with minor delays due to a repair required on the echo-sounding system from September 13-15 with a RNZN dockyard technician coming from Auckland to Nuku'alofa. Rough seas on September 24th also meant there was less time for rock sampling and insect collecting in Mangaia. Scientists started disembarking from September 23 onwards, with the Endeavour leaving Nuku'alofa for Gisborne on October 3rd, arriving on October 9, 1969.