The first group of Europeans to settle in Australia were the British, who established a penal colony at Sydney Cove (New South Wales) in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet of convicts, marines, and officers.

Quick Scoop: Who settled first?

Although the Dutch were the first Europeans to land on and map parts of Australia in the early 1600s, they did not create permanent settlements.

Actual European settlement began much later with the British. Key points:

  • The Dutch (from the Netherlands) explored and mapped western and northern coasts in the 17th century and called the land “New Holland,” but did not colonize it.
  • In 1770, James Cook claimed the east coast for Britain and named it New South Wales.
  • In January 1788, the British First Fleet arrived, and the colony was founded at Sydney Cove on 26 January 1788, now marked as Australia Day.
  • That first settlement was mainly made up of about 850 convicts, marines, and officers under Governor Arthur Phillip.

So, if your question is:

  • “Who were the first Europeans to reach Australia?” → The Dutch.
  • “What group of Europeans were the first to settle in Australia?” → The British (through the First Fleet in 1788).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.