<P> A First Fleet of British ships arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788 to establish a penal colony , the first colony on the Australian mainland . In the century that followed , the British established other colonies on the continent , and European explorers ventured into its interior . Indigenous Australians were greatly weakened and their numbers diminished by introduced diseases and conflict with the colonists during this period . </P>
<P> A First Fleet of British ships arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788 to establish a penal colony , the first colony on the Australian mainland . In the century that followed , the British established other colonies on the continent , and European explorers ventured into its interior . Indigenous Australians were greatly weakened and their numbers diminished by introduced diseases and conflict with the colonists during this period . </P>
when did the first settlers arrive in australia
when did the first settlers arrive in australia
January 1788
January 1788