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The first colony officially established by the British was Sydney, at Port Jackson, in 1788.
However, in 1770, when James Cook's ship, HM Bark Endeavour, was damaged on the Great Barrier Reef, Cook and his scientists and crew set up camp for about 5 weeks near the site of today's Cooktown, where the Endeavour River has its mouth.
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Australia was first settled as a?
Australia was first settled as a penal colony, housing the excess convicts from England. However, this was not its only purpose. It was set up to become its own self-sufficient colony as the British wanted a strong presence in the Pacific. The continent also provided the British Empire with natural resources.
How did Britain gain control of the Australian colony?
It probably isn't a question of Britain "gaining control" of Australia so much as it was that England just put a bunch of people on ships and set them ashore on the land down under. That made Australia a de facto British colony. The native Australians didn't complain too much, and certainly hadn't the numbers or the power to stop things, even if they did. This happened before, this colonization. What's a good example of that? Big country. Lots of room to develop. Stunning store of natural resources. Oh, yes! America!
What is meant by Plassey plunder?
This refers to a battle that occurred in 1757 in Bengal, India, which resulted in the British East India Company becoming the dominant colonial force in the region. After the British won the battle of Plassey, they set up a governing structure (led by Baron Robert Clive) that plundered the region's resources; Bengal's wealth now benefited the British empire and the British military.
What was the purpose of Australia for the British originally?
The British first used Australia in a number of ways. Convict colony: During the 18th century, British prisons were overcrowded with people charged with minor offences. This was an attempt to crack down on rampant crime as people sought to survive unemployment in the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution meant that the development of machines displaced many people from their employment, and the only way to survive was to steal food and other basic necessities. However, because of this, the prisons were so overcrowded that people were even held on hulk - old prison ships - moored along the Thames. Britain had originally been able to send convicts to America, but the American War of Independence stopped that. An alternative had to be found. James Cook and Sir Joseph Banks had recommended Botany Bay (New South Wales) after their exploration of the region in 1770. The authorities in Britain decided to act on this recommendation, sending the First Fleet of convict in 1787, who then arrived in New South Wales in 1788. In addition, because Australia was so far away, there was little chance of the convicts getting back to Britain. Expansion of the British Empire: To expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific. By colonising Australia, it gave the British a presence in the South Pacific, to offset French interests.
Who were some important people in Australia during 1550-1650?
Willem Janzoon was an important person in Australia between 1550 and 1650. He was a Dutch explorer who first set foot on the land in 1606. He and others explored the land but did not make any settlements for over a hundred years.
