# Settlement at Sydney Cove is founded (1788)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1788-settlement-at-sydney-cove-is-founded
Categories: main-event

The First Fleet established the colony that became Sydney. Within the broader Georgian Britain period, parliamentary government, industrialization, imperial expansion, war with France and political reform turned Britain into a global commercial and military power. This event is placed at 1788 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The settlement marked the start of a new settler society built on Indigenous dispossession and convict labour.

## Why it matters
The settlement marked the start of a new settler society built on Indigenous dispossession and convict labour.

Ruler at the time: [George III](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Settlement at Sydney Cove is founded](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Settlement+at+Sydney+Cove+is+founded&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Settlement at Sydney Cove is founded](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Settlement+at+Sydney+Cove+is+founded)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281700%E2%80%931799%29)
- [The National Archives — empire and industry resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)