answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

The British chose Australia as a place if settlement for several reasons:

1. To expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific.

2. To solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons (a consequence of the Industrial Revolution) by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise for eventually becoming self-supporting. Britain had been sending their excess prisoners to North America, but the American War of Independence put a stop to the practice. Following this, the English were no longer able to transport surplus prisoners who couldn't legally be executed to North America.

3. Australia could provide commercial and political gains to Britain.

4. Due to war, Britain needed to find an alternative supply of Flax and timber as her Baltic supply was under threat. It was believed that nearby Norfolk Island would provide this.

5. Britain needed a port in the East to promote trade with China and to extend its naval and commercial power.

6. The continent had Natural Resources which England wanted.

Colonisation was simplified for Britain, which was able to prove to the satisfaction of the judicial system that Australia was terra nullius - a land without ownership - because the English found difficulty in locating any individual(s) able to negotiate a treaty with the indigenous inhabitants.

It is important to note that, although other countries had the opportunity to colonise Australia, they chose not to. Australia was first "officially" discovered by Dutch traders in the East Indies: however, they landed in the west, one of the least forgiving areas of the continent and decided that it was not worth colonising. Likewise the French, hearing of the Dutch discovery, sent an expedition to map more of the coast. This did not, however, lead to any attempts to colonise and the continent was left alone for another hundred years. Even the English pirate and explorer William Dampier, who also landed in the northwest, dismissed the continent as uninhabitable.

It was not until James Cook's successful voyage which involved charting the eastern coast of Australia, that New South Wales was seen as a viable proposition for a convict colony. In particular, it was endorsed by Sir Joseph Banks, the influential botanist who travelled with Cook. Banks was one of three botanists aboard Cook's ship "The Endeavour", and he was a passionate advocate of British settlement and colonisation of the Australian continent. It was largely upon Cook's and Banks's recommendation that Australian ultimately was colonised by the British, and not by another power later.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

There were numerous reasons for the first Europeans to settle in Australia.

The British decided to colonise Australia for several reasons:

1. To expand the British empire, and prevent the French from gaining a foothold in the Australian continent or in that part of the Pacific.

2. To solve the problem of Britain's overcrowded prisons (a consequence of the Industrial Revolution) by establishing a new penal colony in a land which showed promise for eventually becoming self-supporting. Britain had been sending their excess prisoners to North America, but the American War of Independence put a stop to the practice. Following this, the English were no longer able to transport surplus prisoners who couldn't legally be executed to North America.

3. Australia could provide commercial and political gains to Britain.

4. Due to war, Britain needed to find an alternative supply of Flax and timber as her Baltic supply was under threat. It was believed that nearby Norfolk Island would provide this.

5. Britain needed a port in the East to promote trade with China and to extend its naval and commercial power.

6. The continent had natural resources which England wanted.

On another note, it is significant that there is strong evidence to suggest the first settlers were actually Dutch survivors of shipwrecks off the western coast.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why was Australia chosen as a place of settlement?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about World History

What year did white settlement in Australia?

White settlement in Australia commenced in 1788, with the arrival of the First Fleet.


PMI chart on the settlement on Australia?

PMI on Edmund Barton


What are the people called who lived in Australia before the europeans arrived?

The Australian aboriginal people were the first to settle in Australia. Humans originated in Africa and from there migrated to other areas, which was a slow process. South America, the Pacific Islands and Australia were settled quite recently.


What are some historical places in Australia?

The first people in Australia were the indigenous Australians, known as Aborigines, and there are many historical landmarks significant to them, such as Uluru, Kata-tjuta, the Kimberleys and so on.Places of historical significance since European settlement in Australia include the following:Sydney, particularly the Rocks, and Government HousePort Arthur - the original convict settlement in TasmaniaSovereign Hill, near Ballarat, Victoria - a reproduction of a gold mining townFremantle Gaol and the Round HouseSt Helena Island, a small island in Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland, which was once a prison settlement


Where was Australia founded?

The continent of Australia was founded with the raising of the British flag at Sydney Cove. The first permanent settlement in Australia was founded by Captain Arthur Phillip on 26 January 1788.When the Commonwealth of Australia was founded, following the federation of the colonies on 1 January 1901, the proclamation was announced by Australia's first Governor-General, John Hope, at Centennial Park in Sydney.

Related questions

What was cooks recommendation about Australia being a place for a settlement?

Well, Cook said that Australia was a good place for farming, and a good place for a new settlement.


Why might the french have chosen the Mississippi River Valley for settlement?

it was a better place were they could trade with other colonies.


What type of Settlement was the Australian settlement?

Australia is an Urban Settlement.


Did anything significant happen in Australia in 1750?

No. This was before European settlement in Australia. There were no European sea explorations taking place at that time either.


What country was responsible for the white settlement of Australia?

England was responsible for establishing the first white settlement in Australia.


Why was religion chosen in Australia?

I don't understand your question but Australia has not chosen a national religion.


How are Australia's leaders chosen?

they are chosen by elections of the country


Where Did The First Settlement Come From?

The first settlement in Western Australia was by the British.


What harbor became the site of the first English settlement in Australia?

Sydney Harbour was the site of Australia's first European settlement.


How did wallington get chosen as a settlement?

They had houses schools and shops and transport.


Where did Captain Cook recommend as a good place to start a settlement?

James Cook, who was not yet a captain at this stage, recommended Botany Bay in New South Wales as a good place to start a new settlement. Botany Bay is a harbour on the east coast of Australia, but in the end it was not the best place to start a settlement, and the First Fleet moved north to Port Jackson.


What is a settlement and examples of settlement?

A settlement is a place owned by imigrants.