Captain James Cook Memorial
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The Captain James Cook Memorial was built by the Commonwealth Government to commemorate the Bicentenary of Captain James Cook's first sighting of the east coast of Australia. The memorial includes a water jet located in the central basin and a skeleton globe sculpture at Regatta Point of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, showing the paths of Cook's expeditions. On 25 April 1970, Queen Elizabeth II officially inaugurated the memorial.[1]
The water jet is driven by two 3.3 kVA 4-stage centrifugal pumps capable of pumping up to 250 litres per second against a head of 183 metres. The water velocity at the water nozzle is 260 km/h. While running both pumps simultaneously the main jet throws approximately six tons of water into the air at any instant, reaching a maximum height of 152 metres. Alternatively the jet can be run on a single pump reaching a lower height of 114 metres. During special occasions it can be illuminated, often with coloured lights.[2]
The water jet operates daily from 11am to 2pm[3]. In periods of high wind the jet is automatically disabled as water landing on the nearby Commonwealth Avenue Bridge can be a hazard to traffic. The water jet must also be occasionally shut down when drought lowers the water level of the lake.[4]
![](../I/m/A_vertical_panorama_of_the_Captain_James_Cook_Memorial_water_jet_on_Lake_Burley_Griffin%2C_in_Canberra%2C_ACT.jpg)
Notes
- ↑ Sparke, pp. 173–174.
- ↑ National Capital Authority (6 March 2017). "Australia's Captain Cook Memorial Jet to reach new heights" (PDF). Retrieved 11 January 2018.
- ↑ "Attractions and memorials - Captain Cook Memorial". Retrieved 2018-01-11.
- ↑ "Fact Sheets > Captain Cook Memorial Jet". Nationalcapital.gov.au. 2010-11-09. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
External links
Media related to Captain Cook Memorial, Canberra at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Captain Cook Memorial Jet at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 35°17′25.6″S 149°7′46.5″E / 35.290444°S 149.129583°E