White+Settlement+of+Australia

Captain Cook **was not** the first European (white person) to step foot onto Australian soil. He did however plant a flag and claim the whole island continent for England.

There are three main theories to explain why England wanted to start a settlement "down under":


 * 1) **A dumping ground for convicts**
 * 2) **Supplies of shipbuilding resources**
 * 3) **Strengthen trade routes**

We will study each of these theories so that you can discuss key ideas and draw conclusions using historical evidence.