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The Captain James Cook Memorial, which incorporates the Captain Cook Memorial Jet and the Captain Cook Memorial Globe, was constructed by the Australian Government to commemorate the Bicentenary of Captain James Cook's discovery of the east coast of Australia. It was formally activated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 25 April 1970. The Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Canberra is positioned in the Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, immediately facing the National Capital Exhibition at Regatta Point. A spectacular illustration of hydraulic engineering, the Captain Cook Memorial Jet sends water to a maximum height of 147 meters, with an exit velocity of about 260 kilometers an hour. Water is sucked up from the lake by a 50 meter-long suction tunnel, to the bottom of the underground pump house, and the pumps can be operated either manually or automatically. The pattern of the central nozzle of the Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Canberra is identical to the Jet D'Eau in Geneva, Switzerland, which could be borrowed only after many high-level diplomatic negotiations. The Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Canberra is operated everyday from 10am-12noon, and from 2pm-4pm, subject to weather conditions. Sometimes, when the winds are too high, the jet is turned off, as the functioning of the Jet is determined by wind speed, and wind direction, apart from the lake water level. To be in Canberra is to be overwhelmed by the attractions it has to offer, so come and see the Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Canberra and be awed by its grace and beauty!
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