Did King George third help your country?

Answer 1

Yes, the Royal Society and the Royal Navy proposed a voyage to the Pacific. King George III commissioned the first voyage by Lieutenant James Cook to observe the transit of Venus around the Sun on or about the 3rd or 4th of June 1769 near Tahiti and then to travel south to "Terra Australis Incognito" the unknown continent. Lieutenant Cook circumnavigated New Zealand, founded in 1642 by Abel Tasman who also discovered Van Dieman's Land now Tasmania, before sailing west when the eastern coast of Australia was sighted by Seaman Hicks. Point Hicks was named after him. Travelling north up the eastern seaboard, landfall was made on the southern side of Botany Bay. Joseph Banks, the botanist, and William Solander, the fauna expert, collected samples to take back to the Royal Society whose members honestly believed that the platypus was a practical joke being foisted upon them. A few days later, the French Captain La Perouse dropped anchor on the northern side of Botany Bay, in what is now known as Frenchman's Bay in the Sydney suburb of La Perouse. The French Captain La Perouse upped anchor and left after a few days, having sighted the Union Flag. Lieutenant James Cook had already claimed the continent for King George III and England. Encountering difficulties near the Great Barrier Reef, the HM Bark Endeavour, a refitted collier, had to put in for repairs at what is now known as Cooktown in Queensland. She limped back to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. The report by Lieutenant James Cook claimed that there was an adequate water supply and bountiful soil at Botany Bay, suffice for this information to be used following England's loss in the American War of Independence. The prison hulks were rotting in the Thames, incidental crimes were rising due to abject poverty and the convicts had to be sent somewhere. His Majesty's Government settled on Botany Bay in the Colony of New South Wales as the answer. Captain Arthur Philip was appointed to lead the First Fleet and as the Governor. Upon arrival in 1788, Captain Phillip found the water supply and the soil to be inferior at Botany Bay. Together with members of the Royal Navy and the Corp, he rowed north and discovered the most beautiful natural harbour, a natural water supply, the "Tank Stream" and bountiful soil at Port Jackson. The new colony was moved and named "Sydney" after the Secretary-General and a flag raising ceremony was held on 26 January 1788. 26 January is the day we commemorate as Australia Day, our National Holiday. Although some Indigenous Peoples call Australia Day "Invasion Day" it should be remembered that only 20% of Australians are descended from Convicts, many of us are descended from displaced persons whether it was generations ago or recently and Australian Aborigines made an incredible sea voyage or crossed the landbridge bringing the dingo which is a sub species of the Asian Wolf and not a dog.