Australia’s timeline By Lucy White 48,000 BCE 30-50000 years prior to arrival of English settlers. Indigenous Australians were already living here 1606 Dutch explorers explored the western coasts 1697 William Dampier was the first English person to visit Australian Shores 1770 Captain James cook exploring He landed on the east coast. 1770 Cook sailed to the Torres Strait which he also claimed as British land 1784 Matra made decisions that convicts should be used as settlers 1788 First fleet arrived 1790 Second fleet arrived 1791 Third fleet arrived 1793 First ‘free’ settlers arrived in NSW
