Australian Settlement By emmataha 1770 Captain James Cook discovered Australia May 13, 1787 First fleet left England 11 Ships Sailed from England Jan 26, 1788 Settlement in Sydney Cove - NSW 1802 Risdon Cove in Van Dieman's Land 1824 Morento Bay in QLD 1826 King George Sound in WA Dec 26, 1826 First Settlement in Western Australia New South Wales established first settlement in Western Australia at King George Sound as a convict-supported military garrison, named Frederick Town but renamed Albany in 1832 1829 swan River colony was established as a free settlement 1836 Adelaide's Torrens River in SA 1850 NSW small towns were established 1851 Port Phillip was separated from New South Wales 1851 Discovery of gold in Victoria 1854 Van Dieman's Land Self-governing 1859 Queensland Colony was offically Proclaimed 1903 Sorrento in Victoria