Everyone Is Trolling Scott Morrison With Fake Captain Cook Facts
"Led the full might of the Australian Army to victory during the bloody Emu Wars, then built a wall to keep the rabbits out."
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his government would spend $6.7 million on a replica of Captain Cook’s ship, the Endeavour, that will recreate Cook’s famous circumnavigation of Australia. Which is a pretty stupid thing to do regardless, but seems especially strange given Cook never actually did that.
Despite Morrison calling the trip a “re-enactment” of Cook’s voyage, the reality is Cook never circumnavigated Australia. That was Matthew Flinders, along with Indigenous man Bungaree.
The PM’s gaffe has since been widely ridiculed on social media, with many adopting that hashtag #ThingsCookDid to serve up a few more little-known facts about the English explorer.
#ThingsCookDid #Auspol @ScottMorrisonMP announces $1billion package to recreated Captain Cook’s moon landing pic.twitter.com/eCuX47nwYk
— Sandy85 (@BrissieSandy) January 23, 2019
Drove a bus half way across Australia to perform a Drag Show in Alice Springs #ThingsCookDid pic.twitter.com/XDgcs3n7Rc
— Kyle Dadleh (@KyleDadleh) January 23, 2019
Led the full might of the Australian Army to victory during the bloody Emu Wars, then built a wall to keep the rabbits out. #ThingsCookDid
— Kimmylea (@Kimmylea4) January 23, 2019
Bowled underarm to the New Zealand number ten batsman #ThingsCookDid
— Jessica Grant (@jesskgrant) January 22, 2019
He started the NBN rollout. It’s nearly finished now … #ThingsCookDid
— Ebony (I format books too) McKenna (@EbonyMcKenna) January 22, 2019
Got a Southern Cross neck tattoo#ThingsCookDid
— Deadpan Dave (@CeleritasSqrd) January 22, 2019
Convinced Coles and Woolies that Australia needs Hot Cross Buns on the shelves no later than Boxing Day #ThingsCookDid
— SuperDomestique (@SirCrankset) January 22, 2019
#ThingsCookDid invented cooking, which is how it got its name
— Ms Deborah (@Helishingly) January 22, 2019
started the no hat no play rule at primary school #ThingsCookDid
— a i m ᴇ̶ ᴇ̶ (@21_bees) January 22, 2019
Invented the chiko roll #ThingsCookDid
— eb 20.19 (@TerritoryGal17) January 22, 2019
Amazing the things you learn on the internet, hey.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has accused Scott Morrison of having a “bizarre Captain Cook fetish”, although he also said the replica of The Endeavour sounded “very nice”. Sounds like you’re trying to have it both ways there, Bill.
The $6.7 million boat ride is part of $48.7 million earmarked by the government to commemorate the 250 year anniversary of Cook’s first landing on the east coast of Australia. Some of that money will apparently be used to “preserve and celebrate Indigenous culture”, which is one thing we can safely say Captain Cook did not do.