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Witness History: The First Fleet Lands in Australia

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26/01/2016 GMT

The First Fleet Lands in Australia

BBC World Service - Witness History, The First Fleet Lands in Australia

Britain established a penal colony in Australia.In January 1788

A British fleet established a penal colony in Australia in 1788. It was the first step towards claiming Australia as British territory.

A British fleet of 11 ships established a penal colony in Australia in 1788. It was the first step towards claiming Australia as a British territory. For the indigenous population, the arrival of British settlers brought violence and disease which would decimate the population.

(Photo: Royal Navy ships took 750 British convicts to New South Wales, where they established the first European settlement in Australia. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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