what was the first british settlement in australia

When was the first settlement established in Australia?

A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney.

What year did Australia become a colony?

On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia.

How many indigenous people were there when Britain colonised Australia?

Recent estimates of the Indigenous population at the time of British settlement range from 500,000 to one million. There is considerable archaeological discussion as to the route taken by the first colonisers.

Why did the British decide to settle in Australia?

The decision to establish a colony in Australia was made by Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. This was taken for two reasons: the ending of transportation of criminals to North America following the American Revolution, as well as the need for a base in the Pacific to counter French expansion.

Where was the first British settlement?

The first British settlement was meant to be at Botany Bay on the east coast of what was named New South Wales. It had been visited briefly in 1770 by Lt James Cook RN and botanist Joseph Banks RS, who reported to the Board of the Admiralty that it was suitable as a point of settlement

When was Sydney established?

Sydney was the first settlement, in the British colony of New South Wales, on 26th of January 1788.

What did the Maori people do when the British invaded New Zealand?

When the British went to New Zealand, the Maori people saw it as no less than a hostile invasion. They were able to fight the British and maintain their standing in New Zealand. The British then did something unusual for them as colonisers, they signed a treaty between the a Crown and the Maori chiefs. The treaty gave sovereignty to the Crown, but preserved the rights of the Maori people over the land and some sea, unless those rights were sold.

How many states are there in Australia?

The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of six independent and sovereign nation states, who maintain full independence from the CoA in their internal affairs, and are only answerable to the CoA government for the few things ceded to the jurisdiction of the CoA (eg: defense, border control, taxation (since the 1940s), communications etc).

How many colonies did the British have?

The British had seven autonomous colonies within Australasia and all were granted full independence & sovereignty over their own destiny in the mid 19th century. Thus seven nation-states were created, albeit under the oversight of the Privy Council in London, to ensure that none devolved into a dictatorship or a monarchy.

What was the British government's solution to the problem of petty criminals?

Their solution was to increase penalties harshly and implement a “one strike and your out rule”. This policy increased the population of the gaols significantly. Many offenders were sentenced to transportation for 7 or 14 years. Originally they were sent to the colonies in America, but when the Americans refused to accept them after 1776, a new destination had to be found.

How many criminals were in Botany Bay?

A fleet was gathered and in May 1787 the fleet carrying more than 700 convicted criminals plus approximately 400 Marines and administrative personnel departed from England for Botany Bay.

What was the colony of New South Wales?

The British colony of New South Wales was established in 1788 as a penal colony . After the American War of Independence, Britain, in a time of social upheaval at the beginnings of massive agricultural, industrial and social change, was faced with overcrowded prisons and prison ships and no suitable destination to transport their convicts Lieutenant James Cook's discovery and annexation for Britain of the east coast of Australia in 1770, now aroused new interest. In particular, Sir Jospeh Banks, the influential Botanist who had accompanied Cook on the voyage, strongly supported "Botany Bay" as a site for a new British settlement and convict colony. For this and for related strategic and commercial reasons, the British government decided, to embark on the new settlement project.

Who were the first judges of the peace in Australia?

Originally, Governor Phillip, Lieutenant-Governor Ross and Judge Advocate David Collins acted as Justices of the Peace. Phillip was later given the right to appoint additional Justices of the Peace. Like their English counterparts, these Justices of the Peace, or magistrates, undertook both judicial and administrative duties.

What did the New South Wales military do?

The officers quickly gained significant land holdings and monopoly control over trade, especially of rum and alcohol imports.

What happened to the New South Wales Corps?

The New South Wales Corps remained in control until 1810 when the British government sent a new Governor (Macquarie) with his own regiment, disbanding the New South Wales Corps.

Who were the early governors of New South Wales?

The Early Governors of New South Wales. Governor Phillip (1788-92) was succeeded as Governor by Governors John Hunter, 1795-1800, Philip Gidley King, 1800-06, and William Bligh, 1806-08 (the famous Captain Bligh of the "Mutiny on the Bounty"). Until 1824, the military governors of New South Wales were absolute rulers, ...

When did the British give governors their powers?

The governors' rights were granted to them under an Act of the British Parliament of 1787, which gave them their commissions and instructions, but the distance and the infrequency of communication with the rest of the world meant that governors often exercised far wider powers than they had been given.

Where did the convicts settle?

Finding the area unsuitable for settlement, they actually settled at Sydney Cove in Port Jackson ( or Sydney Harbour as it is better known) on January 26, the date now celebrated nationally as "Australia Day".

Why was Australia not a colony?

Plus, neither did it boast the soil or climate to produce the natural commodities which Europe demanded. At the end of Cook’s second voyage in 1775 it was therefore apparent that it was not fit to serve as any type of colony. Australia had once again been shunned.

Why was Australia chosen as the new location for its overseas prison?

The usual explanation is that with the American colonies revolting in 1776, Britain had been deprived of its outlet for the criminals that were overfilling its goals, and so Australia was chosen as the new location for its overseas prison. However, this explanation may be overly simplistic. Instead, one must look at the pressures on Britain to maintain its commercial empire and militaristic strength to fully understand decisions for settlement.

How long ago was the Aboriginal culture?

Tracing Aboriginal history via an outback small group tour for mature and senior couples or solo travellers provides an intriguing learning platform about Australia, rock art, trading and culture that traces a history possibly some 120,000 years ago .

Why was the North Atlantic coast more suitable for settlement?

Similarly, European migrants were willing to make the sea journey across the North Atlantic because the voyage was not unduly dangerous or long, nor was it seriously menaced by scurvy or fever.

Where is the Outback South Australia?

Outback South Australia, near Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam mine. The dry arid lands, with lots of red earth and sand-hills, was not appealing to the commercial interests of 17th century Europeans.

Where did the British ship go in the 1780s?

Around the same route and into halfway ports in Australia could come English ships bound for the Pacific coast of north-west America where commerce in sea otter skins was booming in the 1780s. And Botany Bay could also become a base for whaling ships that had begun venturing into the Indian and South Pacific oceans. Finally, it could be a base from which British ships quietly emerged to dabble in smuggling and privateering in the rich Spanish trade that linked the Philippines, Mexico and South America.

Did Europeans know about Australia?

Although it is likely that Europeans knew of Australia since the 16th century, they opted to largely avoid it until as late as the eighteenth century. Since 1516 Portugal had held a colony in Timor, only 300 miles from Australia, and must have occasionally been driven within sight of its coast by annual north-western monsoon winds. And with Australia’s west coast flanked by one of the world’s richest trade routes, between Europe and the East Indies, it had been visited at countless points by Dutch ships, before Abel Tasman and Dutchmen traced nearly two-thirds of Australia’s coastline in the mid-17th century.

When did the first white settlements start?

Some Australians are debating whether Friday is 'Australia Day' or 'Invasion Day' . The First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove in New South Wales on January 26, 1788.

Where did Aboriginal people meet the fleet?

According to the NSW Migration Heritage Centre, the local Aboriginal people met the fleet in an 'uneasy stand-off' at what is now called Frenchmans Beach at La Perouse. No violence occurred.

What is the significance of Australia Day?

Should we really feel guilty about celebrating Australia Day? The REAL story behind the white settlement on January 26th, 1788 - as the campaign continues to have the date changed 1 Some Australians are debating whether Friday is 'Australia Day' or 'Invasion Day' 2 The First Fleet landed at Sydney Cove in New South Wales on January 26, 1788 3 A small ceremony was held in which a British flag was planted in the new colony 4 No shots were fired and no one - black or white - was injured in those first days 5 Governor Arthur Phillip was under instruction not to harm any Aboriginal people 6 Mabo native title legislation relies on the legal principle Australia was settled

What were Phillip's instructions regarding Aborigines?

Phillip's instructions regarding Aborigines were that he would 'conciliate their affections', to 'live in amity and kindness with them.'

Why did Pete Buttigieg divorce his wife?

Manhattan spinal surgeon divorces his beauty queen wife because she 'led a secret life as a high-end hooker earning $700,000', court papers claim.

Was there a violent confrontation on Australia Day?

But there was no violent confrontation on that first Australia Day.

Where did the British settle?

Seventeen years after Cook's landfall on the east coast of Australia, the British government decided to establish a colony at Botany Bay. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) saw Britain lose most of its North American colonies and consider establishing replacement territories. In 1779 Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent scientist who had accompanied James Cook on his 1770 voyage, recommended Botany Bay as a suitable site for settlement, saying that "it was not to be doubted that a Tract of Land such as New Holland, which was larger than the whole of Europe, would furnish Matter of advantageous Return". Under Banks' guidance, the American Loyalist James Matra, who had also travelled with Cook, produced "A Proposal for Establishing a Settlement in New South Wales" (23 August 1783), proposing the establishment of a colony composed of American Loyalists, Chinese and South Sea Islanders (but not convicts).

What was Britain's claim to Australia?

The territory claimed by Britain included all of Australia eastward of the meridian of 135° East and all the islands in the Pacific Ocean between the latitudes of Cape York and the southern tip of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). The western limit of 135° East was set at the meridian dividing New Holland from Terra Australis shown on Emanuel Bowen 's Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in John Campbell's editions of John Harris' Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–1748, and 1764). It was a vast claim which elicited excitement at the time: the Dutch translator of First Fleet officer and author Watkin Tench 's A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay wrote: "a single province which, beyond all doubt, is the largest on the whole surface of the earth. From their definition it covers, in its greatest extent from East to West, virtually a fourth of the whole circumference of the Globe." Spanish naval commander Alessandro Malaspina, who visited Sydney in March–April 1793 reported to his government that: "The transportation of the convicts constituted the means and not the object of the enterprise. The extension of dominion, mercantile speculations and the discovery of mines were the real object." Frenchman François Péron, of the Baudin expedition visited Sydney in 1802 and reported to the French Government: "How can it be conceived that such a monstrous invasion was accomplished, with no complaint in Europe to protest against it? How can it be conceived that Spain, who had previously raised so many objections opposing the occupation of the Malouines ( Falkland Islands ), meekly allowed a formidable empire to arise to facing her richest possessions, an empire which must either invade or liberate them?"

What was the largest city in Australia in 1950?

After World War II and by the 1950s, Australia had a population of 10 million, and the most populous urban centre was its oldest city, Sydney. It has retained its status as Australia's largest city ever since.

What was the role of the Commonwealth in the Aboriginal community?

Following federation Aboriginal affairs was a state responsibility, although the Commonwealth became responsible for the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory from 1911 . By that date the Commonwealth and all states except Tasmania had passed legislation establishing Protectors of Aborigines and Protection Boards with extensive powers to regulate the lives of Aboriginal Australians including their ownership of property, place of residence, employment, sexual relationships and custody of their children. Reserves were established, ostensibly for the protection of the Aboriginal population who had been dispossessed of their land. Church groups also ran missions throughout Australia providing shelter, food, religious instruction and elementary schooling for Indigenous people.

How many convicts were transported to Australia?

Between 1788 and 1868, approximately 161,700 convicts (of whom 25,000 were women) were transported to the Australian colonies of New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land and Western Australia. Historian Lloyd Robson has estimated that perhaps two-thirds were thieves from working class towns, particularly from the Midlands and north of England. The majority were repeat offenders. Whether transportation managed to achieve its goal of reforming or not, some convicts were able to leave the prison system in Australia; after 1801 they could gain "tickets of leave" for good behaviour and be assigned to work for free men for wages. A few went on to have successful lives as emancipists, having been pardoned at the end of their sentence. Female convicts had fewer opportunities.

What was the boundary of Australia?

The western boundary of 135° East of Greenwich was based on the Complete Map of the Southern Continent, published in Emanuel Bowen 's Complete System of Geography (London 1747), and reproduced in John Campbell's editions of John Harris' Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca, or Voyages and Travels (1744–48, and 1764). Bowen's map was based on one by Melchisédech Thévenot and published in Relations des Divers Voyages (1663), which apparently divided New Holland in the west from Terra Australis in the east by a latitude staff situated at 135° East. This division, reproduced in Bowen's map, provided a convenient western boundary for the British claim because, as Watkin Tench subsequently commented in A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay, "By this partition, it may be fairly presumed, that every source of future litigation between the Dutch and us, will be for ever cut off, as the discoveries of English navigators only are comprized in this territory". Thévenot said he copied his map from the one engraved in the floor of the Amsterdam Town Hall, but in that map there was no dividing line between New Holland and Terra Australis. Thévenot's map was actually copied from Joan Blaeu 's map, Archipelagus Orientalis sive Asiaticus, published in 1659 in the Kurfürsten Atlas (Atlas of the Great Elector); this map was a part of Blaeu's world map of 1648, Nova et Accuratissima Terrarum Orbis Tabula, which first showed the land revealed by Abel Tasman 's 1642 voyage as Hollandia Nova and which served as the basis for the Amsterdam Town Hall pavement map. Longitude 135° East reflected the line of division between the claims of Spain and Portugal established in the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which had formed the basis of many subsequent claims to colonial territory. An Historical Narrative of the Discovery of New Holland and New South Wales, published in November 1786, contained "A General Chart of New Holland, including New South Wales & Botany Bay, with The Adjacent Countries, and New Discovered Islands", which showed all the territory claimed under the jurisdiction of the Governor of New South Wales.

How many people settled in New South Wales?

It consisted of over a thousand settlers, including 778 convicts (192 women and 586 men). A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788. This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day. The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney. Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip described as being, 'with out exception the finest Harbour in the World [...] Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security'.

When was the last convict ship to arrive in Australia?

The transportation penal system reached its peak in the 1830’s after which the numbers dwindled and the last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia was on 10th January 1868. Other settlements such as Victoria and South Australia were established and would remain free colonies.

What happened to the American colonies in 1785?

On 6th December 1785 the Orders in Council were given; the colony was to be established , instructions were given and transportation to Australia commenced.

Why did Phillip leave Botany Bay?

A party of men which included Phillip left Botany Bay and travelled in three smaller vessels in order to explore the coastline further north. It was on this investigative trail that the men discovered Port Jackson which immediately appeared to have better conditions. Good, fertile soil for growing crops, access to fresh water and easier anchorage of the boats made this the chosen spot for a new life and new era of discovery.

How many criminals were taken to the British colonies?

Transportation was therefore introduced to solve this problem, with around 60,000 criminals being taken to British colonies in North America.

Why was Botany Bay so shallow?

Botany Bay was in fact too shallow to allow the fleet to anchor by the shore and it was quickly discovered that strategically the bay was unprotected and open to attack. To make matters worse, a lack of fresh water and poor soil quality added to the lack of potential in the area.

Where did the flogging of convicts take place?

Flogging of a convict in Tasmania, Australia. The treatment of the transported convicts was poor and the use of excessive punishment was rife throughout the penal system. Lashings were commonplace and for those prisoners who did not behave accordingly, they were taken elsewhere to suffer a secondary punishment.

What is the national day of Australia?

26th January is the official national day of Australia and marks the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships and the raising of the Union flag at Sydney Cove. Australia continues to recognise the story of its modern founding to this day. The First Fleet as it became known, was formed of 11 ships that left from Portsmouth in southern England on ...

Overview

Colonisation

European exploration

Aboriginal resistance and accommodation

Politics and government

Economy and trade

Religion, education, and culture

Representations in literature and film