<P> The first known landing in Australia by Europeans was by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606 . Twenty - nine other Dutch navigators explored the western and southern coasts in the 17th century , and dubbed the continent New Holland . Macassan trepangers visited Australia 's northern coasts after 1720 , possibly earlier . Other European explorers followed until , in 1770 , Lieutenant James Cook charted the east coast of Australia for Great Britain and returned with accounts favouring colonisation at Botany Bay ( now in Sydney ) , New South Wales . </P>
<P> The first known landing in Australia by Europeans was by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606 . Twenty - nine other Dutch navigators explored the western and southern coasts in the 17th century , and dubbed the continent New Holland . Macassan trepangers visited Australia 's northern coasts after 1720 , possibly earlier . Other European explorers followed until , in 1770 , Lieutenant James Cook charted the east coast of Australia for Great Britain and returned with accounts favouring colonisation at Botany Bay ( now in Sydney ) , New South Wales . </P>
who was the first european to visit australia
who was the first european to visit australia
Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon