History
The Treaty of Waitangi may be less than two hundred years old, but our Naval maritime history reaches back to 1769, when Captain James Cook RN first sighted Young Nick's Head on the East Cape of the North Island. Our Navy's history is part of every New Zealander's heritage.
The Royal Navy (RN) became involved in the history of Aotearoa/New Zealand when Cook commanded three RN expeditions to the Pacific, visiting this country in 1769, 1773 and 1777. The first expedition was undertaken in HMS ENDEAVOUR, a small barque 100 ft (31m) of 368 tons, previously a collier.
For comprehensive information about the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy, and to see the vast amount of images and collections, visit the Navy Museum site, launched 26 October 2006.