<P> Sir Joseph Banks, the eminent scientist who had accompanied Lieutenant James Cook on his 1770 voyage, recommended Botany Bay as a suitable site . Banks accepted an offer of assistance which by the American Loyalist James Matra in July 1783 . Matra had visited Botany Bay with Banks in 1770 as a junior officer on the Endeavour commanded by James Cook . Under Banks's guidance, he rapidly produced "A Proposal for Establishing a Settlement in New South Wales" (24 August 1783), with a fully developed set of reasons for a colony composed of American Loyalists, Chinese and South Sea Islanders (but not convicts). </P> <P> Following an interview with Secretary of State Lord Sydney in March 1784, Matra amended his proposal to include convicts as settlers . Matra's plan can be seen to have "provided the original blueprint for settlement in New South Wales". A cabinet memorandum December 1784 shows the Government had Matra's plan in mind when considering the creation of a settlement in New South Wales . The London Chronicle of 12 October 1786 said: "Mr. Matra, an Officer of the Treasury, who, sailing with Capt . Cook, had an opportunity of visiting Botany Bay, is the Gentleman who suggested the plan to Government of transporting convicts to that island". The Government also incorporated into the colonisation plan the project for settling Norfolk Island, with its attractions of timber and flax, proposed by Banks's Royal Society colleagues, Sir John Call and Sir George Young . </P> <P> On 13 May 1787, the First Fleet of 11 ships and about 1,530 people (736 convicts, 17 convicts' children, 211 marines, 27 marines' wives, 14 marines' children and about 300 officers and others) under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip set sail for Botany Bay . A few days after arrival at Botany Bay the fleet moved to the more suitable Port Jackson where a settlement was established at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788 . This date later became Australia's national day, Australia Day . The colony was formally proclaimed by Governor Phillip on 7 February 1788 at Sydney . Sydney Cove offered a fresh water supply and a safe harbour, which Philip famously described as: </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> "</Td> <Td> being with out exception the finest Harbour in the World (...) Here a Thousand Sail of the Line may ride in the most perfect Security . </Td> <Td>" </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When did the first english settlers come to australia