James Cook reached the southeast coast of Australia on April 19, 1770, but the continent had been well known to Europeans for more than 100 years by then, with Willem Janszoon reaching it in 1606.
1770
It is a common misconception that Captain Cook discovered Australia. He did not. The Australian continent had been populated by Aborigines for thousands of years, and visited by numerous Asian traders and, later, explorers since the first known European visitor in 1616. Captain James Cook was the first European to sight and chart the eastern coast of Australia, which he did between April and August 1770.
Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook reached the eastern coast of Australia in April 1770. He first sighted and named Point Hicks on the southeastern coast, and gradually moved northwards.
On April 20, 1770, The Endeavor, reached Australia and Captain James Cook laid claim to it as part of the British Empire. He did not discover Australia, since there were already aboriginal people there, but Captain Cook was the first European to lay claim to Australia.
James Cook never settled in Australia. After charting the eastern coast of the continent in 1770, he returned to England. During his life, he made two more significant voyages, but his home remained in England.
James Cook (still a lieutenant at this stage) discovered and named Botany Bay on Australia's east coast in April 1770.
Captain Cook did not discover Australia.James Cook, who was not yet a captain when he reached Australia, did not discover Australia. He was the first known European to sight the eastern coast, and he did so in April 1770, first sighting the southeast corner which he named Point Hicks.He claimed the eastern half of the Australian continent for England, under the name of New South Wales, in August 1770.
Captain Cook claimed Australia for Great Britain in 1770
1770
Captain Cook did not discover Australia. James Cook, who was not yet a captain when he reached Australia, did not discover Australia. He was the first known European to sight the eastern coast, and he did so in April 1770, first sighting the southeast corner which he named Point Hicks. He claimed the eastern half of the Australian continent for England, under the name of New South Wales, in August 1770. had Cook not claimed the land for the British Empire, undoubtedly the French would have. Whether one regards it as preferable for Australia to have been colonised by the British or by the French is a different matter.
Cook and The Endeavor left on their expedition from Plymouth on Aug. 26, 1768. The ship reached Tahiti in April 1769. New Zealand was discovered on Oct. 7, 1769 before moving on to the eastern coast of Australia. It returned back to England on July 13, 1771.
Captain Cook, April 19, 1770.