Friday, June 3, 2016

Did Britain invade or discover Australia?

Britain did not discover Australia in the sense of being the first people to find it, obviously. Southeast Asians had found it centuries before. There had been reports by Western explorers of a large southern continent whose full extent was unknown. It was first known to Europeans as New Holland, having been spotted by the Dutch. But the British explored it far more extensively. Captain Cook also determined that New Zealand was a collection of islands and not part of Australia (early reports were uncertain).

Captain Cook did not "invade" Australia, contrary to certain revisionist claims. His sealed orders required him to enter into friendly relations with the natives, to begin trade with them, and to take possession of useful regions of land with their consent.

Later British visitors were far less scrupulous, and obviously colonized the place at sword point. However, the term invasion has a specific meaning that shouldn't be muddled up.


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