Baffle Creek Chronicle posted an article by Scott Bankier on Captain Cook 'The Door of Destiny' Monument at 1770 Headland, it talked of the supernatural powers and the social focus it provided over the years.

My late husband, John Elliot and I used to own and operate Captain’s Creek Pastoral Company before the property was sold and divided up to become the community it is today. As we were VERY much involved in the conception and construction of ‘The Doorway of Destiny’ monument, this is an account of how it happened in late 1969 and 1970 by Jeanette Elliot.

John Elliot’s grandfather, Phillip Llewellyn Elliot of Taronne, was the first white man since Captain Cook to set foot at Round Hill, (Today known as 1770). He cut the first buggy track through the heavy sand between Agnes Water and Round Hill (1770) in the 1920’s. The early locals always called it Round Hill, It was only in the lead up to the 1970 celebration of Captain James Cook’s landing in May 1770 that it became known as The Town of 1770.

His friend Doctor Cumbrae Steward, who was the Secretary of the Queensland Historical Society and the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, visited Round Hill with Phillip L Elliot. He felt sure that it was the spot where Captain Cook made his second landing on the Eastern Coast of Australia in May 1770.

Returning to Brisbane he checked appropriate journals and documentation and realised he was indeed correct. The Queensland Historical Society and the Royal Geographical Society raised public funds and organised the erecting of a Cairn to mark this important historical event.

Under the direction of the Bundaberg branch of the Royal Geographical Society, the Cairn was erected approximately 100 yards (30 metres) directly inland from Captain Cook’s landing place on the 24th May 1770. Phillip L Elliot, Maurice Barton from Gin Gin and J Cross from Murray’s Creek erected this first monument. It was constructed of cement and unveiled in June 1926 by Commodore George F Hyde of the Royal Australian Navy and Captain of the H.M.A.S Sydney.

Unfortunately the years were not kind to it and in 1970 the Cairn was written up in national press as “The Most Defaced Monument in Australia”. John Elliot and Ken Chalmers rigged up a flying fox to carry lovely smooth, ocean washed stones from below the high water mark and they beautifully refaced the monument as you see it today. This cairn is now a worthy monument made safe from vandals and, to me, it is attribute to my farsighted husband John who laved this area so much.

The Committee of the Captain Cook Bicentenary was formed to oversee the 1970 celebrations. John travelled to Brisbane in 1969 to consult with the committee as he felt it was very important that Captain Cook’s first Queensland landing should be commemorated appropriately in the celebration year.

The committee had no knowledge of this historical fact. Fortunately, they researched John’s information and found it to be true. The Committee then came to The Town of 1770 to gather more information.

Sir Raphael Cilento, who was actually the father of Diane Cileno and head of the National Trust, designed the monument. I cannot comment on his being a Freemason, or the symbology on the compass in the root of the monument mentioned in the recent article. However, I do know that he did not choose the spot where the ‘Doorway of Destiny; was built. It was I who chose this magical spot on Round Hill Head next to the most beautiful windswept tree.

John Elliot was given the job to build this new monument of Captain Cooks first landing in Queensland with the help of Ken Chalmers. At the time he advised the committee to make the monument of salt proofed material, but it was not to be. Without this protection, he predicted it would only last 25 years. It actually stood for 22 years before it become a danger to the public.

In 1970, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11, came to Australia to e part of the Captain Cook Celebrations and the committee hoped that she would be able to attend The Town of 1770 Captain Cook celebrations on the 24th of May. However, due to isolation, bad roads and poor communications it was deemed unsafe to come to the Town of 1770, so Sir Alan Mansfield, the Governor of Queensland, was chosen to represent Her Majesty, The Queen instead.

A small number of Army and Navel personal were send to The Town of 1770 the week before the Captain Cook Bicentenary Celebrations in case things were not as they should be for the Governor. However, John Elliot, who was the recognised organiser, had thought of everything and had the event scheduled to run precisely to the minute.

The actual day was an amazing experience. Try to imagine the organisation needed to accomplish this; poor communications, dreadful roads, almost complete isolation with the closest phone at Captain Creek sixteen miles away. The phone line back the was plain fencing wire strung from tree to tree. All we needed was for a tree to fall and the phones were nonexistent.

At the same moment as Sir Alan Mansefield unveiled the plaques an the ‘Doorway of Destiny’; three Canberra Bombers from Amberley Air Base roared overhead accompanied by a twenty-one gun salute from the H.M.A.S. Queensborough sailing in Bustard Bay. Such was the emotion of the moment there was barely a dry eye in the large crowed.

The Bundaberg Amateur Player re-enacted Captain Cook’s historic landing in a replica long boat; all done very well, bustard and all!! A meal was later served to invited guests in a large marquee.

I agree with Scott Bankier that this a very special area and it is hoped that, with the return of the plaques, the magic and beautiful energy will return for those people who feel the grief of the monolith’s demise. I believe it is MOST inappropriate to have the plaques from ‘The Doorway of Destiny’ sitting in the Agnes Water Museum. I have been trying since 2003 to get Miriam Vale Shire Council to put them into a large stone EXACLY where the ‘Doorway of Destiny’ stood (Very sadly without the tree). The community is now concentrating on it famous and very important history and that part of the Captain Cook Bicentenary should be in its dedicated and exact position for all to experience.

I am hoping that this letter will rekindle interest in the lost ‘Doorway to Destiny’ and these historical events can be accurately recorded before they are lost to the distortion of time.

Please, Discovery Coast residents, Miriam Vale Shire Council and Natural Trust; let this be the year that we replace the ‘Doorway of Destiny’.

Jeanette Elliot. (Former owner of Captain Creek)

The 1770 Festival holds the Captain Cook Re-enactment each Year in May More Information Here