What was the impact to the world when captain Cook Found Australia?

Answer 1

Contrary to popular opinion, Cook did NOT discover Australia, nor New Zealand, but his journeys had implications for several reasons:

On his first journey, departing in 1768, he commanded the 'Endeavour' on an expedition to chart the transit of Venus. Cook went on to search for Terra Australis Incognita, the great continent which some believed to extend round the pole. He first came across New Zealand, which had already been discovered by Abel Tasman in 1642. He spent some months there, charting the coastline. Nearly a year later, he set sail east, becoming the first known European to sight the Eastern coast of Australia, in April 1770. He continued north, charting the coast in some detail, before returning a favourable report to England. It was this report which convinced the authorities to colonise the Australian continent with convicts.

On Cook's second journey which lasted from 1772-1775, he commanded the 'Resolution' and the 'Adventure' on an expedition to the South Pacific, disproving the rumour of a great southern continent, exploring the Antarctic Ocean, New Hebrides and New Caledonia.

On his third journey, commencing in 1776, Cook visited and named the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii, and unsuccessfully sought a northwest passage along the coast of North America.

Answer 2

To begin with, James Cook did not find Australia. (See the related question.)

However, when Cook became the first European to sail along the east coast and chart it, the main impact was that it increased the size and scope of the British Empire. It also provided a dumping ground for British convicts.