Other countries had the opportunity to colonise Australia, but they chose not to. Australia was first "officially" discovered by Dutch traders in the East Indies: however, they landed in the west, one of the least forgiving areas of the continent and decided that it was not worth colonising. Likewise the French, hearing of the Dutch discovery, sent an expedition to map more of the coast. This did not, however, lead to any attempts to colonise and the continent was left alone for another hundred years. Even the English pirate and explorer William Dampier, who also landed in the northwest, dismissed the continent as uninhabitable.
It was not until James Cook's successful voyage which involved charting the eastern coast of Australia, that New South Wales was seen as a viable proposition for a convict colony. In particular, it was endorsed by Sir Joseph Banks, the influential botanist who travelled with Cook. Banks was one of three botanists aboard Cook's ship "The Endeavour", and he was a passionate advocate of British settlement and colonisation of the Australian continent. It was largely upon Cook's and Banks's recommendation that Australian ultimately was colonised by the British, and not by another power later.
The British decided to colonise Australia for several reasons:
1. To expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific.
2. To solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons (a consequence of the Industrial Revolution) by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise for eventually becoming self-supporting. Britain had been sending their excess prisoners to North America, but the American War of Independence put a stop to the practice. Following this, the English were no longer able to transport surplus prisoners who couldn't legally be executed to North America.
3. Australia could provide commercial and political gains to Britain.
4. Due to war, Britain needed to find an alternative supply of Flax and timber as her Baltic supply was under threat. It was believed that nearby Norfolk Island would provide this.
5. Britain needed a port in the East to promote trade with China and to extend its naval and commercial power.
6. The continent had Natural Resources which England wanted.
The first permanent settlers arrived in Australia with the First Fleet on 26 January 1788 to set up the new penal colony.
Australia did not acquire its independence from the US. The US has never had any claim to any part of Australia. Both countries were initially colonised by Britain, and each, in turn, acquired its independence from Britain.
In Australia, he would have been known as a bushranger. As he says in the story, the proper term in Britain was a highway robber.
Easy answer, Yes. Australia and Britain were/are allies as Britain was once seen as a "Mother Country" and promised to always help Australia if they were ever introuble, as did Australia for Britain.
Australia has not lost Britain as an ally.
When it is Autumn in Britain it is Spring in Australia.
Britain-Australia Society was created in 1971.
No . . . Australia is a loyal ally to Great Britain.
France
Australia was once a colony of Great Britain.
No
No. The platypus is native to Australia. There have never been platypuses in Britain.
Not at all. Great Britain is in the northern hemisphere. Australia is in the southern hemisphere.