Timeline Aboriginal Contact 1500 - 1900

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Timeline - Contact History 1500 - 1900 1500-1700 Indonesian trepang fishers visit northern Australia. [pic] Bark painting by Mini Mini. Acquired in 1948 from Umba Kumba, Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory. A Macassan prau (boat) in a typical Groote Eylandt style. Aboriginal populations from Australia's north coast have been in contact with Macassan fishermen from south east Asia for over four hundred years. 1606 Dutchman Willem Jansz and his ship Duyfken explore the western coast of Cape York Peninsula and were the first Europeans to have contact with Australian Aboriginal people. There were clashes between the two groups. The Spaniard Luis Vaez De Torres sailed through Torres Strait. 1623 Dutchman Jan Carstenz described several armed encounters with Aborigines on the northern coast of Australia. Shots were fired and an Aboriginal man was hit. 1697 Englishman William Dampier visited the west coast of Australia. 1768 Anticipating that Captain Cook would discover the great southern land he was issued with special instructions to "with the consent of the natives take possession of convenient situations in the name of the King... or if you find the land uninhabited Take Possession for His Majesty". 1770 April 29 Captain James Cook in the Endeavour entered Botany Bay. After an encounter with local people in Botany Bay Cook wrote that "all they seem'd to want was us to be gone". 1786 August 18 the British Government chose Botany Bay as a penal colony. 1788 18 January Captain Arthur Phillip entered Botany Bay. A total of nine ships sailed into Botany Bay over three days. Aboriginal people watched the arrival. 25 January Phillip sailed to Port Jackson and between 25 January and 6 February 1 000 officials, marines, dependents and convicts came ashore. Frenchman La Perouse and two ships arrive at Botany Bay and
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