The science of maritime exploration

The Australian National Maritime Museum is presenting a special day of activities lifting the lid on the science of maritime exploration in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens and Young Scientists. Endeavouring Science invites you to step back in time more than 200 years on board HMB Endeavour – a replica of the ship James Cook commanded on his 1770 voyage to Australia.

Discover the science of cannons in the Fire Away! experiment and build balloon rockets to demonstrate force. Learn about the spread of contagious diseases like malaria and scurvy in Watch your back in which the Young Scientists will model the spread of diseases and find out how boats sail into the wind due to air pressure in Sail away with me.

Other activities explore astronomy, eclipses and even the transit of Venus, and flora botanist Louisa Murray will demonstrate how to make a specimen collection in the ship’s Great Cabin. She’ll also discuss how plants were used by the local Aboriginal people for medicines and food.

Endeavouring Science takes place on board HMB Endeavour
10:00am-4:30pm, Saturday 23 August, event included in the museum’s Big Ticket – adult $27, child $16, family $70. Booking not required.

Then and Now – The History of Bush Food

Join Indigenous elder Aunty Beryl Van-Oploo and learn about the science of native foods, cooking and a healthy lifestyle. Aunty Beryl runs the Gardner’s Cafe in Camperdown and is a Head Teacher at Yaama Dhiyaan in Darlinghurst.

11:00-11:45am and 12:15-1:00pm, Saturday 23 August, free

For more information visit the Endeavouring Science information page.

Jude Timms is a Communications Officer at the Australian National Maritime Museum.