Who led the first expedition to Australia?

Answer 1

The first Englishman in Australia was William Dampier, who arrived in 1688. An experienced sea captain and pirate, Dampier became the first Englishman to explore and map parts of New Holland and New Guinea. On 4 January 1688, his ship the 'Cygnet' was beached on the northwest coast of Australia, at King Sound near Buccaneer Archipelago on the north-west coast of Australia. While the ship was being repaired Dampier made notes on the fauna and flora he found there. Dampier was actually completely unimpressed by the dry, barren landscape, the lack of water and what he described as the "miserablest people in the world" - the native population. His negative reports led to the delay of England's colonisation of what is now Australia. It was not until 1770 that James Cook reported positively on the green, fertile countryside of New South Wales (on the eastern coast), and England sought to colonise the previously unknown continent.