<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> The history of Australia from 1788--1850 covers the early colonial period of Australia's history, from the arrival in 1788 of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney, New South Wales, who established the penal colony, the scientific exploration of the continent and later, establishment of other Australian colonies and the beginnings of representative democratic government . European colonisation would have a devastating effect on the pre-existing population of Indigenous Australians, and debate continues in the 21st century as to whether the colonisation process represented settlement, invasion, or a mixture of both . </P> <P> It is commonly reported that the colonisation of Australia was driven by the need to address overcrowding in the British prison system, and the fact of the British losing the United States from the American Revolution; however, it was simply not economically viable to transport convicts halfway around the world for this reason alone . Many convicts were either skilled tradesmen or farmers who had been convicted for trivial crimes and were sentenced to seven years transportation, the time required to set up the infrastructure for the new colony . Convicts were often given pardons prior to or on completion of their sentences and were allocated parcels of land to farm . </P> <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 made 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>

Where did the first australian settlers come from