European maritime exploration of Australia
Cook's first expedition carried botanist Joseph Banks, for whom a great many Australian geographical features and the genus Banksia and a number of plant species e.g. Grevillea banksii were named. The reports of Cook and Banks in conjunction with the loss of England's penal colonies in America after they gained independence and growing concern over French activity in the Pacific, encouraged the foundation by the British of a colony at Botany Bay. The First Fleet led by Captain Arthur Phillip left England on 13 May 1787 to found a penal colony in Australia. It reached Botany Bay in mid-January 1788. Phillip had decided to move the settlement to Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, but the British ships were unable to leave Botany Bay until 26 January because of a tremendous gale.
HMAS Australia (D84)
On 12 June, the combined task force returned to Seeadler Harbour, and Crutchley left "Australia", having completed his two-year assignment as Rear Admiral Commanding Australian Squadron. A day later, Commodore John Augustine Collins raised his flag on "Australia" as commander of both the Australian Squadron and Task Force 74; the first graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College placed in overall command of the RAN's ships. "Australia" spent most of June in harbour, and sailed on 24 June with Task Forces 74 and 75 to perform a pre-landing shore bombardment for the attack on Noemfoor Island. On the morning of 2 July, "Australia" bombarded Noemfoor Island, then was released before midday to sail for Hollandia, then on to Seeadler Harbour. on 12 July, "Australia" led Task Force 74 to Aitape, where the warships were to provide naval gunfire support for Allied forces ashore, help in the interdiction of Japanese troop movements by barge along the coast, and destroy gun emplacements covering the surrounding waterways. On 14 July, "Australia" bombarded the Yakamal area of Aitape, then shelled the Marubian area on 17 July, before attacking Yakamal again on 20 July. On 22 July, Collins transferred his flag to "Shropshire", and "Australia" departed with for maintenance dockings in Sydney.
The cruiser departed Sydney on 26 August in the company of twelve other ships from Task Forces 74 and 75; the combined force reached Seeadler Harbour on 1 September. Collins reembarked on 3 September, and "Australia" was assigned to the Morotai landings as lead ship of Task Group 75.2, part of the escort and bombardment force. The cruiser shelled the area around the landing site on Cape Gila from 06:50 to 07:40 on 15 September; this was cut short by ten minutes, as shell fragments from "Australia" were reported as falling close to the destroyer , which was positioned to cover the landings from the other side of the cape. The cruiser remained on station to provide fire support until the evening of 16 September, when "Australia" and the other ships normally assigned to Task Force 74 were permitted to withdraw to Mios Woendi. "Australia" remained there until 27 September, when Task Forces 74 and 75 sailed for Manus Island, where they were involved in exercising. During this time, the cruiser was visited by British Admiral of the Fleet Lord Roger Keyes.
Task Force 74 was absorbed on 11 October into Task Unit 77.3.2, assigned to provide close cover for the landing force in the operation to recapture Leyte, and departed that day for Hollandia. At 15:30 on 13 October, Task Group 77.3 (including "Australia" and her companions) began the seven-day voyage to Leyte. At 09:00 on 20 October, "Australia" commenced shelling targets prior to the amphibious landings, then was positioned to provide gunfire support and attack targets of opportunity throughout the day. At around 06:00 on 21 October, Japanese aircraft attacked attempted to bomb the Allied ships in Leyte Bay. An Aichi D3A dive-bomber dove for "Shropshire", but broke away after heavy anti-aircraft fire was directed at it. The Aichi, damaged by Bofors fire, turned and flew at low level up the port side of the nearby "Australia", before striking the cruiser's foremast with its wingroot. Although the bulk of the aircraft fell overboard, the bridge and forward superstructure were showered with debris and burning fuel. Seven officers (including Captain Dechaineux) and twenty-three sailors were killed by the collision, while another nine officers (including Commodore Collins), fifty-two sailors, and an AIF gunner were wounded. Observers aboard "Australia" and nearby Allied ships differed in their opinions of the collision; some thought that it was an accident, while the majority considered it to be a deliberate ramming aimed at the bridge. Although historian George Hermon Gill claims in the official war history of the RAN that "Australia" was the first Allied ship hit by a kamikaze attack, other sources, such as Samuel Eliot Morison in "History of United States Naval Operations in World War II" disagree as it was not a preplanned suicide attack (the first attack where the pilots were ordered to ram their targets occurred four days later), but was most likely performed on the pilot's own initiative, and similar attacks by damaged aircraft had occurred as early as 1942.