Editing Kingdom of Great Britain (section)

====Australia====
{{Main|History of Australia (1788–1850)|History of Australia|History of New Zealand}}
In 1770, British explorer [[James Cook]] had discovered the eastern coast of Australia whilst on a scientific [[First voyage of James Cook|voyage]] to the South Pacific. In 1778, [[Joseph Banks]], Cook's botanist on the voyage, presented evidence to the government on the suitability of [[Botany Bay]] for the establishment of a penal settlement. Australia marks the beginning of the Second British Empire. It was planned by the government in London and designed as a replacement for the lost American colonies.<ref>{{Cite book |title=[[The Oxford History of the British Empire]] Companion Series |date=2010 |editor-last=Schreuder |editor-first=Deryck |chapter=Chapter 1. Australia's Empire |editor-last2=Ward |editor-first2=Stuart}}</ref> The American Loyalist [[James Matra]] in 1783 wrote "A Proposal for Establishing a Settlement in New South Wales" proposing the establishment of a colony composed of American Loyalists, Chinese and South Sea Islanders (but not convicts).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carter |first=Harold B. |chapter=Banks, Cook and the Eighteenth Century Natural History Tradition |date=1988 |title=Interpreting Australia: British Perceptions of Australia since 1788 |publisher=Sir Robert Menzies Centre for Australian Studies |editor-last=Delamotte |editor-first=Tony |location=London |pages=4–23 |author-link=Harold Burnell Carter |editor-last2=Bridge |editor-first2=Carl |isbn=978-0-902499-98-0}}.</ref> Matra reasoned that the land was suitable for plantations of sugar, cotton and tobacco; New Zealand timber and hemp or flax could prove valuable commodities; it could form a base for Pacific trade; and it could be a suitable compensation for displaced American Loyalists. At the suggestion of Secretary of State [[Lord Sydney]], Matra amended his proposal to include convicts as settlers, considering that this would benefit both "Economy to the Publick, & Humanity to the Individual". The government adopted the basics of Matra's plan in 1784, and funded the settlement of convicts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Atkinson |first=Alan |date=1990 |title=The first plans for governing New South Wales, 1786–87 |journal=Australian Historical Studies |volume=24 |issue=94 |pages=22–40, 31|doi=10.1080/10314619008595830 |s2cid=143682560 }}</ref>

In 1787 the [[First Fleet]] set sail, carrying the first shipment of [[Convicts in Australia|convicts]] to the colony. It arrived in January 1788.