According to detractors, Captain Cook’s centricity to the founding of Australia is a harmful colonialist myth . The man many of them blame for starting that myth is Sir Joseph Carruthers, one of the Fathers of Federation. Just in time for the 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing at Kurnell, the reader can now judge for themselves. Carruthers believed that Cook’s life was a meritocratic success story that should be held up as an example for his young nation to emulate. His passion was so infectious that it not only won over the Australian public, but managed to unite the whole of the English-speaking Pacific to come together to celebrate their greatest pioneer.