This isn’t a bad crossword question. As a good Yorkshireman, of course the mind turns to Cricket and the likes of Len Hutton or Brian Close. The answer is of course Captain Cook the first known European to set foot in Australia. Cook set out in the Endeavour in 1768 and after sailing round the Cape Horn, he landed in Tahiti. There he picked up the services of a Tahitian navigator who was an expert in travelling between the scattered islands of the Pacific Ocean. He sailed on until he chanced upon New Zealand where he spent many months sailing round both islands to create a wonderfully accurate map.
The objective of the voyage was to find the Great Southern Continent which was believed to exist but its whereabouts was uncharted and unknown. On Friday 20th April 1770 Cook landed at Botany Bay .His own log recorded the date as the 19th but he had never made any time adjustment following his half circumnavigation of the globe. He then travelled North up the East Coast almost coming to grief on the Great Barrier Reef, the only time he ran aground in the three years he was at sea. This was in itself a considerable achievement.
Cook was a remarkable leader. He planned his voyage with precision ensuring that the ship was well equipped and well-built to stand the pressures of many months at sea in unchartered territories. He believed in his men having a proper diet in order to stay healthy. Notwithstanding that they would be at sea for months far away from land, they must have fresh food. He got in vast quantities of sauerkraut which he himself ate and thereby encouraged his own men to eat. As a result, the crew avoided the effects of scurvy which was a condition endemic to seafaring in those days. Its cause was unknown but Cook instinctively understood it was a dietary issue and hit on a solution to the problem.
He was also good at empowering others to find solutions to the many problems of the voyage. His idea of hiring a native Tahitian to help in navigation is an excellent example of attitudes towards fellow human beings well ahead of the time. As a result he was loved and trusted by all his men who literally followed him to the end of the Earth. Thus a combination of good planning, trust in other men and their abilities, leadership by example and respect for all, lead to the most remarkable outcomes for his first two voyages of discovery.
By the time Cook came to his third voyage he had spent many years at sea with few breaks at home. The strain was beginning to tell. The preparation for his third voyage were inadequate and the vessel needed urgent repairs before too long. He began to shout and rail at his crew and exhibit temper tantrums. Gradually he lost the trust and respect of his man and that led to bad decisions and poor judgement. Ultimately he was killed in Hawaii by the natives after poor judgement led to an incendiary fight in which he lost his life.
The story of Cook shows just how important good leadership is to the success of any enterprise. One of our cleaners Linda is retiring after 44 years’ service to our company. Following her departure, I will take on that mantel having joined in August 1975. I have been proud to lead the firm for many years but there comes a time when, like Captain Cook, there is a decline in what you can offer. We needed to refresh our leadership which we have done in the appointment of two non-lawyers who in turn rely heavily on our wonderful leadership teams, across Broudie Jackson Canter, Jackson Lees and our central operations to take the ship forward on the next stage of its voyage. They are certainly charting a good course; and like Captain Cook, the welfare of the people we employ is front and centre of our efforts to provide first rate legal services to our clients.