2. First meetings at Kamay Botany Bay

2024-05-14

In 1770, Captain Cook got secret instructions to find the ‘Great South Land’.

His ship The Endeavour sailed into Kamay Botany Bay, the land of the Gweagal people.

How did the Gweagal people meet Captain Cook and his crew?

How did they communicate?

What happened over the eight days that Captain Cook stayed in Botany Bay?

Students from Marrickville West Primary School in Sydney tell us what they know about this encounter.

Ray Ingrey and Paul Irish, along with Captain Cook’s own diary, tell the story of this first meeting, answer kids’ questions, and reflect on how it went.

How to use this episode in your classroomPlay all the way through (23 minutes) or play half the episode (11 minutes) and pause.We'll tell you when you've reached halfway, and recap the episode.Use the 4 page Learning Materials worksheet PDF with your class, and find more resources on our website.
Voices Ray Ingrey is a Dharawal person from the La Perouse Community. He is a Director of the Gujuga Foundation.Paul Irish is a professional historian who has worked for the past twenty years with Aboriginal heritage and history.Captain’s Cook diary is voiced by Nick Hopwood.
Episode image

Gweagal spears reproduced with the permission of the Dharawal and La Perouse community, and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, formerly MAA D 1914.1-4

TranscriptDownload a transcript of First meetings at Kamay Botany Bay in WordDownload a transcript of First meetings at Kamay Botany Bay as PDF
Music

Curiously and Curiously and Roundpine by Blue Dot Sessions.

CreditsHosted by Axel Clark.Made on Gadigal Country by Anna Clark, Clare Wright, Jane Curtis and Britta Jorgensen.Executive producers are Clare Wright and Anna Clark.Podcast concept, design and development by Anna Clark.Indigenous Cultural Consultant is Katrina Thorpe.Story editor is Kyla Slaven.Learning material by Nick Adeney, Victorian primary educatorCurriculum advisors are Nicole Laauw, Department of Education NSW, and Rose Reid, Association of Independent Schools of NSW

Thanks to all the students whose voices you hear in this episode and their schools and teachers: Princes Street Primary school, Marrickville West Primary School, Westbourne Grammar School, Preshil Primary School, La Perouse Primary School, and Yirrkala Bilingual School.

Hey History! is produced by the Australian Centre for Public History at UTS and UTS Impact Studios.

Impact Studios' executive producer is Sarah Gilbert.

No. of episodes

17

Latest episode

2026-04-29

Where can you listen?

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For kids age 8-12, a series on Australian history with stories and music. For teachers, a professional learning series called Hey History Teacher!

Season 1 follows Stage 2 and 3 of the Australian curriculum, and of NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. Students can listen in class and use our Learning Materials designed and road-tested by a primary school educator.

Go back in time to the Gold Rush. What happened at the meetings between Captain Cook and First Nations people at Kamay Botany Bay? Experience life as a convict kid, and hear how First Nations people learn on Country.

Season 2 is for teachers, teacher-educators and pre-service teachers. hear conversations and advice about over 8 episodes, including teaching difficult histories, creative history teaching, approaching First Nations histories with care and confidence, complexity in history teaching, advice for new history teachers, great history teaching, and teaching the Australian Wars.

These eight PD episodes are grounded in current research and features fifteen classroom educators and academics from around Australia.

Hey History! is made by history professors, so you'll hear from Australia's top historians and experts. It's produced by The Australian Centre for Public History and Impact Studios at the University of Technology Sydney, in partnership with La Trobe University.

Hey History Teacher! series is made with the support of the History Teachers Association of New South Wales.