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In 1770, Englishman Lieutenant James Cook charted the Australian east coast in his ship HM Barque Endeavour. Cook claimed the east coast under instruction from King George III of England on 22 August 1770
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Captain Arthur Phillip of the First Fleet,having decided to sail ahead of the rest of the first fleet to prepare for the new settlement, sighted the coast of Van Diemen's Land.
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Matthew Flinders completed the first circumnavigation of the continent (still known as "New Holland")
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Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains Matthew Flinders referred to New South Wales by the name "Australia".
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A penal colony was founded at Moreton Bay, now the city of Brisbane.
Bathurst and Melville Islands were annexed.
Permission was granted to change the name of the continent from "New Holland" to "Australia
The Hume and Hovell expedition travelled overland to Port Phillip Bay and discovered the Murray River (to 1825) -
The whole of Australia was claimed as British territory. The settlement of Perth was founded. Swan River Colony was declared by Charles Fremantle for Britain.
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John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner established a settlement at Port Phillip, now the city of Melbourne. William Wentworth established Australian Patriotic Association (Australia's first political party) to demand democracy for New South Wales.
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Province of South Australia proclaimed with its western border at 132° E.
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First Prussian settlers arrived in South Australia; the largest group on non-British migrants in Australia at the time.
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Victoria separated from New South Wales.
