First Fleet Arrives in Australia: Britain's Convict Colony Begins
The First Fleet dropped anchor at Botany Bay after a grueling seven-month voyage, establishing the first permanent European settlement in Australia just as the United States closed its doors to British convicts. This desperate relocation transformed the southern continent into a penal colony, permanently altering its demographic and political landscape while securing Britain's strategic foothold in the Pacific.
January 18, 1788
238 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on January 18
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