While he wasn’t the first European to visit Australia, the 18th-century navigator James Cook was long considered to have “discovered” Australia. And he still looms large in some Australians’ imaginations, as Cooks’ Cottage shows. Cook likely never lived here (though he did visit his folks), but the downstairs features an exhibition about his voyages, while costumed volunteers and an English garden add color. There’s a small fee to enter the cottage, which is included in a number of Melbourne attractions passes.
Cooks’ Cottage will be of interest to history lovers and gardening fans.
You can photograph the cottage from Fitzroy Gardens without paying for admission.
Fact sheets for a self-guided tour are available in more than 10 different Asian and European languages.
Parts of Cooks’ Cottage are accessible, but the upper floor is not.
Cooks’ Cottage sits in Fitzroy Gardens in central Melbourne’s Fitzroy neighborhood. It’s about a 15-minute walk east of Flinders Street Station, or you can catch tram routes 48 or 75 to Wellington Parade. The nearest suburban rail station is Jolimont, which is about a 5- minute walk from the cottage.
Cooks’ Cottage is open from 10am–4pm seven days a week. It’s popular with families on weekends and during school vacations, so plan to visit midweek if you can. If you’re just looking to photograph the exterior, Fitzroy Gardens are open 24 hours a day.
Founded in 1835, Melbourne offers less by way of history than Sydney does, but the Melbourne Museum and its Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre offer fascinating exhibits on the city’s history. Housed in a splendid 1870s building, the Immigration Museum tells the stories of the waves of migrants who made Melbourne what it is today. The Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the city’s oldest and most charismatic buildings: outlaw Ned Kelly was among those hanged there.
