This passed without fanfare, the COVID-19 crisis taking the spotlight away from the occasion. It wasn't mentioned in this week's MidCoast Council meeting.

In 1770, Cook charted most of the Australian East Coast in the Endeavour. This was, at the time, unknown to the European world.

Earlier, Cook landed at Botany Bay's Inscription Point. He and his Endeavour crew stayed in the area for eight days before heading north.

May 11 proved to be a busy day for the Englishman. He named Port Stephens, after Sir Phillip Stephens, the secretary to the Admiralty, and Cape Hawke at Forster after Sir Edward Hawke, the first Lord of the Admiralty.

No reason is supplied for the decision to name Black Head.

You may also like: Relive the Tuncurry Forster Oyster Festival from 1980

However, to this day the name Black Head is the cause of some confusion and indeed, controversy in the local area.

Is it Black Head - two words? Or Blackhead - one word?

Sporting and community groups in the area go under both names. For many years the Manning River Times was content to use both.

However, that stopped during Helen Manusu's tenure as editor in the mid-1990s. Helen and her family have a long association with the town, particularly Black Head Surf Club and the Times' staff were under strict orders that Black Head was two words.

The majority of the places Cook named are still in use today, although in some places the spelling is slightly different.

Stay ahead with local news by signing up for the Great Lakes Advocate newsletter here.