On his voyage of discovery in search of the assumed Great Southern Continent, Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook anchored his ship, ENDEAVOUR, in Bustard Bay on 24th May, 1770, and went ashore with a small party of crew and scientists, including Joseph Banks, the botanist, at Round Hill Creek.

As the British were the first to land on this part of the coast, this place is considered to be the Birthplace of Queensland.

A granite cairn bearing the legend "Under the lee of this point Lieutenant James Cook landed on 24th May, 1770" was erected in 1926, and ten years later the tiny settlement which had grown up on the foreshore of Round Hill Creek was named Seventeen Seventy in honour of Cook's landing.

The township of Seventeen Seventy and its sistertown Agnes Water commenmorate the landing of Lieutenant James Cook by holding a festival each year in May.

Highlight of the festival is the re-enactment of the landing and every care is taken to have the costumes as authentic as possible.

All locals involve themselves with the preparation of this festival, which attracts many visitors from all over Queensland.